---
title: "Why Do Managers Always Have No Time, While Their Subordinates Always Have No Work?"
description: "This article explains why managers often lack time while subordinates seem to have no work, using the metaphor of 'monkeys on the back' to describe how managers inadvertently take on tasks that should belong to their subordinates. It outlines five rules for managing these 'monkeys' to increase managers' discretionary time and improve delegation."
author: "New Distribution"
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published: "2015-10-17"
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# Why Do Managers Always Have No Time, While Their Subordinates Always Have No Work?

> This article explains why managers often lack time while subordinates seem to have no work, using the metaphor of 'monkeys on the back' to describe how managers inadvertently take on tasks that should belong to their subordinates. It outlines five rules for managing these 'monkeys' to increase managers' discretionary time and improve delegation.

Why do managers always have no time, while their subordinates always have no work? Who is carrying the monkey?

There are three kinds of management time: time constrained by the boss; time constrained by the company; and time constrained by oneself (discretionary time plus time constrained by subordinates). Managers should minimize the portion of 'their own time' that is constrained by subordinates to increase their discretionary time. The metaphor of 'carrying the monkey' explains how 'time constrained by subordinates' is formed:

1. Where is the monkey?
Scenario 1
Employee A: 'Good morning. By the way, we have a problem. You see...'
Manager: 'I'm glad you brought this up. I'm busy right now. Let me think about it and get back to you.'
1. The monkey has jumped from the subordinate's back to the boss's back. The manager automatically places himself in a subordinate position to his own subordinate.
2. The manager takes on the responsibility from the subordinate and promises to report on progress. To ensure the manager doesn't forget, the subordinate will frequently ask 'How's it going?' (This is called supervision.)

Scenario 2
The manager talks with Employee B, and as the employee leaves, the manager says: 'Okay. Give me a memo.'
1. The monkey is now on the subordinate's back (the action of writing the memo), but it is about to jump.
2. The subordinate writes the memo as requested. The manager receives and reads it, and then the manager must act. If the manager does not act quickly, the subordinate will become upset (wasting time), and the manager will feel more guilty (severely constrained by subordinate time).

Scenario 3
When the manager meets with Employee C, he agrees to provide all necessary support for the proposal C is making. At the end, the manager says: 'Let me know if you need help.'
1. The monkey was originally on the subordinate's back. But for how long?
2. Based on experience, the proposal will sit with the manager for several weeks before being processed. Who really gets the monkey? Who has to check with whom? The time-wasting problem will occur again.

Scenario 4
Employee D has just transferred from another department and will initiate and manage a new business. The manager said they would meet soon to set new work objectives, and added: 'I'll draft an outline for us to discuss.'
1. The subordinate (through formal delegation) gets the new job and full responsibility.
2. But the manager is responsible for the next step. Until he takes action, he carries the monkey, and the subordinate cannot proceed.

Why does this happen?
Because in each case, the manager and subordinate initially, consciously or unconsciously, consider the issue as a shared problem. Each time, the monkey jumps inappropriately between the manager's and subordinate's backs, and then the subordinate cleverly disappears.

2. Who works for whom?
The manager has too many monkeys on his back and plans to use the weekend to deal with them. The next morning, when he returns to the office, he sees through the window two pairs of people playing golf on the course.
Now he understands. He knows who is really working for whom. He also understands that if he completes the tasks this weekend, his subordinates will be in high spirits, and everyone will increase the number of monkeys they jump onto his back.
So he quickly leaves the office as if fleeing the plague. He does something he hasn't had time to do for years: spend the weekend with his family.
He has a clear plan for Monday. He will eliminate the time imposed by subordinates, and in return, he will gain an equal amount of discretionary time. He will also spend part of that discretionary time on his subordinates to ensure they learn the difficult but meaningful management art—'the care and feeding of monkeys.'
The manager will also have ample discretionary time to control the timing and content of his 'boss-imposed time' and 'company-imposed time.'
This may take a few months, but the rewards will be extraordinary. His ultimate goal is to manage his own time.

3. Getting rid of the monkeys
On Monday morning, the manager talks to each subordinate individually. The purpose of each meeting is to put a monkey on the desk between them and jointly think about what the subordinate's next step should be. Even if the subordinate's next step is difficult to determine, they can temporarily decide to let the monkey sleep on the subordinate's back overnight, and then bring it back to the manager's office at an agreed time the next day to continue seeking the subordinate's next action plan. (Monkeys sleep just as well on the subordinate's or manager's back.)
The manager explains the basic rule: Whenever I help you solve this or that problem, your problem should not become my problem. Once your problem becomes my problem, you no longer have a problem. I don't help people who have no problems.
You can come to me at any agreed time to jointly decide what action should be taken next and by whom. In the occasional case where I need to take action, we decide together; I will not act alone.
The manager conveys this idea to his subordinates, and suddenly he finds that the monkeys have disappeared. Of course, they will come back—but only at their agreed times. His schedule will ensure that.

4. Transferring initiative
The purpose of the 'monkey on the back' metaphor is for the manager to transfer initiative to his subordinates and keep it there. Once he takes the initiative back, he loses it and says goodbye to discretionary time. Everything returns to 'subordinate-imposed time.' Similarly, the manager cannot effectively have initiative at the same time as his subordinates.
Levels of initiative:
1. Wait to be told what to do;
2. Ask what should be done;
3. Propose a suggestion, then take final action;
4. Take action, but immediately suggest;
5. Act on your own, then report according to procedure.
In dealing with subordinates, the manager's role is twofold. First, eliminate levels 1 and 2 of initiative, so subordinates must learn and master 'completed staff work.' Then, he must ensure that every problem leaving his office has an agreed level of initiative and a next meeting time and place with the subordinate. The latter is noted on the manager's calendar.

5. The care and feeding of monkeys
To further clarify the metaphorical relationship between the monkey on the back and task assignment and control, refer to the manager's appointment schedule. The manager's appointment schedule needs to apply the five strict rules that guide the management art of 'the care and feeding of monkeys.' (Violating these rules results in loss of discretionary time.)
Rule 1: Monkeys must be either fed or killed.
Rule 2: The number of monkeys must be kept within the maximum the manager has time to feed.
Rule 3: Monkeys should be fed only at agreed times.
Rule 4: Monkeys should be fed face-to-face or by phone, not by email.
Rule 5: The next feeding time and level of initiative for each monkey should be determined.

Conclusion:
'Controlling the timing and content of work' is the appropriate advice for managing time.
For managers, the primary task in business is to increase their 'discretionary time' by eliminating 'subordinate-imposed time.'
Second, use this newly found discretionary time to ensure that each subordinate actually has and uses initiative.
Finally, the manager uses another portion of the increased discretionary time to control 'boss-imposed time' and 'company-imposed time.'
All these steps will enhance the manager's advantage and multiply the value of each hour spent on managing 'management time' without theoretical limits.

**-END-**

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