Management/TeamProblemsGrowth
- How to grow your team by not solving there problems for them
Stepping in to solve your team’s problems for them. This feels good in the moment but can lead to burnout if you’re doing it for many people. It also limits growth opportunities. These five questions can help you empower team members to solve their own problems.
The five questions:
- What have you tried? This question both assumes that people can act on their own and implies that they could. If they haven’t, it also creates space to solve the challenge together. A blank look in response doesn’t mean you’ve asked the wrong question, rather that it’s a sign you’ve previously helped out quickly.
- What is the key barrier to solving this? Team members are often able to identify the key obstacle in the way of success, so when leaders have the mentality of seeking to remove this then they become more aware of frontline issues.
- What support do you need? Asking team members what they need in a general sense, rather than specifically from you as a leader enables them to solve the problem more efficiently. Note that this means avoiding adding ‘from me’ to the end of asking that question.
- What would you do if you were in my position? This question empowers your employee to take on the cognitive load of problem-solving. It also asks them to engage in higher level decision-making, which raises their awareness around the bigger picture.
- Is there anything else I should know? The open-ended nature of this question is designed to uncover anything that might have been missed and ensure that problem ownership is clear. The significance of the problem becomes obvious, allowing the leader to step in if needed.
- Based on a podcast by Elizabeth Lotardo and Dave Stachowiak
Published by Coaching for Leaders