Are You the Team Manager or Babysitter? Here's How to Tell!

Unfortunately, too few companies give their new leaders any training. The prospect of looking after five people every day becomes daunting. They start to whine, so you put an arm around them and tell them everything is OK. Are you the team manager or babysitter???

They do something good, and you praise them to high heavens. They start to get hungry, so you give them a lunch break. You're not they're boss anymore... you're their babysitter.

The truth is, while you're in charge of them, you aren't there to keep them happy until their parents pick them up. You aren't there to tell them everything will be OK when something goes wrong. You're there to help them grow into valuable members of the team. You should want to see them develop into team leaders themselves.

So how do you know if you're the team manager or babysitter? Read through the following article and ask yourself which category you fall into.

You Let Mistakes Slide through the Cracks

Babysitters are in the wonderful position of being able to ignore the bad things little ones do. Did the baby say a rude word? That's alright, the parents can deal with that one later. They don't need to take responsibility, as they don't have to deal with the consequences later on.

It's the same with a babysitter boss. They ignore slipping standards, hoping someone else will pick up the mistakes later down the line. Rather than be the bad guy, they're much happier ignoring the issue, trying to keep harmony in their own lives.

What to do:

While it might seem easier to ignore those little problems that crop up, they will build. Nip them in the bud as early as possible. That doesn't mean you don't need to start hurling things across the desk at staff if they slip up. And you shouldn't berate them in front of their colleagues, for that matter.

If someone makes a mistake take them to one side and show them where they have gone wrong. Take them through their error and make sure they understand the issue.

Ask them if they have any questions with your explanation. If they're still not clear, explain in a different way. People don't mean to make mistakes — keep that in mind.

Make it very clear to your team what you expect of them. Set out your standards from the very first day of meeting them. You don't need to be condescending, just clear.

Every manager is different, so your team needs to know exactly what you expect of them. If they fall short of that, then they only have themselves to blame.

You Spend Time Cleaning up after Them

Another part of a babysitter's role is keeping the house in check. If the little one spills their dinner, it's the babysitter's job to clean that up. If the baby leaves its toys out, the babysitter will put them away.

Babysitter managers spend too much time clearing up their employees' mess. They will run around behind their colleagues mopping up any mistake they might make.

It makes the team look more efficient because, everything seems to be running smoothly. But the process is detrimental to the employees' development. How can they ever learn if you clear up the mess all the time?

What to do:

A great team leader shows support to their employees. If one of them screws up, they are there to advise but not to do the legwork. Instead, let the employee figure out the best course of action for themselves.

This will give them the chance to go deep into their industry knowledge and figure out their best option. It will also help them understand where they went wrong, and stop them from making the same mistake again.

As motivational speaker Denis Waitley said: “There are no mistakes or failures, only lessons.”

If they appear to be struggling to come up with an answer, you should help guide them through it. Don't give them the answer, just the keys to unlock it.

You Give Only Praise -- No Criticism

Babysitters need to make the youngsters in their care, happy. They don't need to think about the baby's future happiness, only its present. Which means they never have to be critical. They don't have to offer stern words so the baby learns and develops.

The same is true of babysitter bosses. They are more than happy to give out high fives and back slaps but shirk the responsibility of telling someone off.

What to do:

Giving praise feels great. You get that lovely warm feeling inside of you. Your employees give you a big smile as you leave for the day and all is well in your life.

But if that's all you do, you should see it as a big red flag.

Over-complimenting your team can make them feel like they don't need to put in any more effort. It could make them feel like they're perfect already.

If your team is doing great stuff, give them more responsibility. Let them explore their creativity. Give them your trust, not constant praise. Instead, you need to show them where they can grow. What skills they excel in and which need improving.

Give them regular updates on how they are progressing. They will feel like you're interested in their career progression and will respect you for it.

Conclusion

Now you've read through the difference between being a babysitter and a team manager. Which one were you? If your answer is babysitter, don't worry about it. Now you know the things you are doing wrong you have the means to deal with it.

Remember, you're not there to keep everything in order until the adults come home, you are the adult. You're the one in charge and you have a responsibility to develop everyone in your care.