Doing-it-yourself martyrdom
Photo credit: Historic Brussels
Are you someone with high standards who finds it difficult to cede control because you think you can do something better? Is it your tendency to just "do it yourself" rather than taking a few extra moments to train someone on how they should approach such a challenge?
The consequences of this tendency are to build frustration inside yourself, abdicate your role in helping develop new talent, and reduce the potential job satisfaction of the person whose job it actually is to meet the challenge.
Believe me, I know of what I speak. A few years ago, I worked at an agency where I would swoop in and fix things again and again because I was convinced that it wasn't worth the time and bother to empower others to do their jobs. Much quicker to just do it myself. The president of the agency pulled me aside one day and told me that I had to let go and let others do what they were paid to do. So I did that. And the world didn't stop spinning. Things worked out, and we were all happier in our jobs and professional relationships.
