Since 2022, manager engagement has dropped by nine points (https://bit.ly/SGW-2026), and it tends to decline with larger spans of control (https://bit.ly/4zNFMyL), according to Gallup.

Why? Because managing more people usually means spending less time on strategic leadership and more time on putting out tiny fires.

This problem is of our own making. Instead of training employees to problem-solve, look it up, help each other, and solve their own problems, we micromanage and enable them to drop every minor issue on their manager’s desk.

Of course, asking questions and getting help is important. But skipping basic troubleshooting—like checking internal documentation, searching past files, or spending 10 minutes testing a fix—stalls the whole team and burns out managers.

Employees need to be explicitly trained to:

1. Dedicate time to independent problem-solving
2. Consult all available resources
3. Supply ideas or a clear description of the help needed

When you train new hires to default to initiative, you give your managers back hours of strategic deep-work time each week.

Set expectations of autonomous problem-solving with your new or early-career employees! Explore Unwritten Rules of the Workplace.