From Craft to Command
Mastering the Art of Delegation and Ceasing to Hover
The journey from design expert to manager is much like ordering a latte and receiving a double espresso instead. You might be startled, perplexed, even a tad agitated. They’re both coffee, sure, but they’re entirely different beasts. After all, you were perfectly at ease working your magic in Illustrator or Sketch, painstakingly refining each pixel and curve. Now, you find yourself catapulted into an alien world of spreadsheets, meetings, and — brace yourself — human management.
In your glory days, you were a Michelangelo, chiselling masterpieces out of stubborn marble. Now, you’ve become the director of a lively orchestra, where every violin, trumpet and drum has its own unique tune, quirks and, sometimes, even mood swings.
You might find yourself battling the irresistible urge to snatch the trumpet and show how the tune is played correctly. But pause, take a deep breath, and gently remind yourself: you’re the conductor now. Micromanaging? It’s the siren song of many newbie managers who can’t resist the allure of meddling in every single detail. And while it can feel strangely satisfying — after all, you’re the seasoned pro here — it can leave you frazzled, your designers stifled, and the atmosphere more strained than the G string on a poorly maintained guitar.
