I just revisited one of Harvard Business Review’s most popular articles ever, “Management Time: Who’s Got the Monkey?” from 1974. Despite being written in an era of command-and-control management, its insights about time management and delegation feel surprisingly fresh and relevant in today’s workplace.

The article’s central metaphor is brilliant: every task or problem is a “monkey” that needs to be fed and cared for. These monkeys constantly try to jump from subordinates’ backs onto managers’ backs. We’ve all been there - a team member pops into your office with “just a quick question,” and suddenly you’re the one responsible for the next move. The monkey has successfully switched backs.

What makes this article so powerful is how it illuminates a pattern many managers (including myself) fall into: we think we’re being helpful by taking on our team members’ problems, but we’re actually creating a dysfunctional cycle. Our plates get overloaded, our team becomes frustrated waiting for us to act, and we wonder why we’re working evenings while our team members are playing golf.

The solution? Stop accepting monkeys without a clear plan for returning them to their rightful owners. Each “monkey” should leave your office the same way it came in - on the subordinate’s back. Your role is to guide, coach, and set clear next steps, not to take over the problem.

This isn’t about being unhelpful - quite the opposite. By refusing to take on your team’s monkeys, you’re forcing them to develop problem-solving skills and initiative. You’re also freeing up your time to focus on truly manager-level work.

Reading this in 2025, the only thing that feels dated is the formal language. The core problem it addresses - managers drowning in other people’s work while their teams wait for decisions - is as relevant as ever. In fact, with today’s constant digital communication, it’s probably even easier for monkeys to jump backs without us noticing.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed while your team seems underutilized, give this article a read. Its advice about maintaining clear ownership of tasks and problems might be exactly what you need to reclaim your time and empower your team.

Sometimes the best management insights aren’t new - they’re timeless principles we need to be reminded of. This article is definitely one of those reminders.