It is a very common syndrome (more common than you think) that develops within organizations. It affects productivity, teamwork and sometimes the work environment.
The perfect climate for its development are SMEs where managers, directors or founders feel compelled to get involved in all aspects of the work, it is also sometimes seen in larger companies where there is a boss who is in charge of reviewing the work. everyone and make all kinds of decisions because this is “their job.”
What is a man orchestra?
He is called a man orchestra because he plays several instruments at the same time. We see him singing, playing the guitar, tambourines and in more elaborate versions the drums and keyboards as well. You will identify him because he wants to play all the instruments at once.
It can be interesting to see someone playing so many instruments, but many times it becomes chaotic where we can hardly decipher what he plays with all those instruments.
How to identify it?
The man orchestra is the one who wants to do everything, to interfere in the whole process and its components. He is the manager who, instead of focusing on planning and analysis of results, is in charge of doing operational tasks, so is the sales supervisor who, despite having a team of specialists, decides to take control of all clients and prospects.
Basically you can recognize the man (or woman) orchestra by phrases like “that’s what I’m here for”, “this doesn’t work without me”, “if I want it to be done right, I must do it myself” and many more of these types of phrases.
How does it affect an organization?
The first downward variable is productivity. When a person tries to do everything, it results in low performance with respect to the work that the team as a whole could do.
When the man (or woman) orchestra is in a managerial position, their planning and analysis are also affected, the tasks are so many and the time so little that there is no opportunity to analyze results and think about the strategy.
Innovation is another of the great sacrifices, the male (or female) orchestra establishes a series of operational actions (100% empirical) that hinder the exploration of new tools to obtain better results, preventing the rest of the team from growing.
In many occasions and as a consequence of these factors, the organizational climate is affected, since other collaborators do not achieve the desired job development and may even decide to leave the company due to the lack of growth and the attitude of the colleague or superior that monopolizes all functions.
Do you identify yourself as a male or female orchestra? Do you know someone like that?
We share with you some recommendations that can help alleviate this type of attitude.
1.- Take your place
Being at the head of a team does not make you the owner of all tasks. If you are the leader stick to that role and limit yourself to intervene according to how the situation requires it with different leadership styles.
2.- Learn to delegate
Trust your team, their knowledge and skills. You must understand that each position requires specific profiles and the first step is to accept that you are not an expert in everything, so you must allow your colleagues and collaborators to do what they do best.
3.- Capacitate
Training is undervalued within small organizations, even large ones. Having a tailored training program can improve the individual and interpersonal skills of a team by increasing efficiency and individual experience.
