Last month, we shared a common scenario that many managers face and asked for your comments. Boy, did we field some interesting calls, emails and comments! Thank you all for your thoughts and suggestions. We have some good managers out there! If you didn’t catch last month’s blog make sure to read it before continuing…
So we left you with the question of what to do when you’ve started enabling your direct reports by letting them off the hook or doing their jobs for them, when you should be empowering them and holding them accountable. Read on for our thoughts on the solution…
The key is coaching and training. Now that sounds easier than it really is, truly. Training and coaching sound great, but who has time to create training or sit down and do one-on-one coaching? We are running a business here, right?! But true management takes time, it is hard, and it takes discipline to do it well. But it can be done. The majority of the experienced managers that we work with complain that it is ‘quicker to do it myself’. But if you keep doing everyone else’s job, you’re probably finding yourself deficient at getting parts of your own job done… and that my friends, is not good.
So, HOW do you fit training and coaching into your day? DELEGATION. You don’t have to do it all by yourself. Co-create a plan of what you need that employee to learn, set metrics, and enlist help to get them there. Maybe they need to learn the software system. Surely there is someone else at your company who can teach them the basics. Then you can ‘test’ them on it. But here is the key… they will not get it right 100% of the time. They may even fail. And THAT IS OKAY. It is a coaching opportunity when they fall short of success. But you have to give them the chance to reach it.
Letting go isn’t easy, especially if you thrive on being a help-a-holic. Our recommendation, do it like you’d rip off a Band-Aid. Don’t prolong the pain with baby steps. Make your plan, communicate your expectations, and then stick to it. RESIST THE URGE to swoop in and save the day! People learn best when they are given the opportunity to succeed on their own, to falter on their own, and to experience failure. Some of the best lessons come from epic failures! Let employees make mistakes, just be there to coach them through it. Through doing so, you’ll foster a culture of trust, empowerment and more inspired employees.
How will you LET GO? Let us know on our Facebook page or give us a call if you need some coaching of your own!
Go Big or Go Home!