Growing your team or company requires that your direct reports can both handle their own responsibilities and be proactive about next steps. If you are consistently over-involved or making excuses for work that belongs to your directs, take a step back to analyze the situation and problem solve before it gets in the way of your team’s success.
Once you’ve:
a) identified the concrete signs that your team member may be able to take on more responsibility (see signs here)
and
b) understood how you enable their current underperformance (take quiz here),
it’s time to come up with a plan to help your employee step up. Start by having a conversation with your employee. There are a couple ways to approach this conversation.
- Think of it as a career development conversation. Ask your employee, what could you improve or continue to learn to grow in this role and the next? Understand their thinking and add any elements you may have identified.
- Think of it as a reset conversation. Acknowledge that there are some behaviors you’ve displayed or witnessed that could inhibit the individual’s or team’s success. Seek to understand why those behaviors might be occurring and what you and the employee can do to reset the situation.
During the conversation, try to agree on a few action items that can be enacted right away. To ensure momentum on the behavior changes, offer positive feedback and call out lapses whether enabled by you or committed by your employee.
If you have additional questions about how to help your employees step it up, feel free to email lauren@evoluteconsult.com
