The One Thing Holding Your Team Back (Hint: You Can Find It In The Mirror)

Congrats, you have all the answers.

You know how to do what, when, and why in nearly every situation. But your teams don’t, so they come to you all day long with questions that need to be answered. Because you’re the answer extraordinaire, you spoon-feed them the best decisions.

But you develop your team by helping them make better choices on their own.

Don’t answer their questions.

A team member asked me, “Nate, should I do X or Y?”

Instead of feeding him what I knew was the best decision, I guided him to choose for himself. I replied, “With all that you know, what’s the best option that would provide the highest-quality product for the client?” He replied with the best option and how he was going to proceed.

Your team begins to lose the ability to think for themselves when you always have an “answer.”

Guide them to make decisions for themselves with counter-questions.

Know their capability spectrum.

When helping your team make the best decision, ask yourself, where do they stand on the capability spectrum concerning specific tasks, projects, and responsibilities?