July 18, 2024
We have to stop micromanaging.
But I know that even when we try, we’re often pulled into a million problems with questions coming from left and right.
This is because you created a work environment where the team doesn’t feel empowered or trusted to make decisions without you - leaving you no time or mental energy to push forward on your own projects.
The good news is that there’s a simple solution to this problem and guaranteed to save you thousands of hours while also increasing productivity.
Here’s how it works…
The next time someone asks you a question about a problem or something they’re stuck on, before providing any feedback, respond with:
“What do you think?” or “How do you think we should handle it?”
This does two amazing things:
- It forces your them to come up with an answer on their own (it will often be right because they understand the problem best)
- If the proposed solution isn’t appropriate you will at least get some good ideas to help problem-solve
Not only will this save you a ton of time, but you’ll also notice that your team will come to you with less (but more important) questions.
Now, your team still needs direction. If they’re not clear on what done or success look like, these questions will keep coming and making them autonomous will feel like an uphill battle.
Before you delegate, you need to clearly define done success. The how is in their hands, but it’s on you to define success.
To summarize:
1. Clearly define success
2. Always ask your team what they think, first
These two techniques paired together will significantly upgrade the way you and your team collaborate.
See you all next Thursday 👋
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