How to instil self management in a team that looks to be led/fed? From Empathy to Action. Yesterday, we looked at reasons why your team might be stuck. Today we will move from empathy to action.
Since I’m exploring the use of Influence, let’s see how we can help the team move from spoon-fed to self-managed:
- When they ask for the next ticket for them to work on, don’t just hand it over. Invite them to sit down with a few other team members and decide together which is the next User Story to work on next.
- Invite them to spend 30 minutes to pairing on a problem with you and genuinely ask for their advice. Help them build confidence to make more decisions.
- Model vulnerability - acknowledge a mistake you made. This not only humanizes you but also shows that it’s okay to err. You’re creating psychological safety by showing that mistakes are acceptable.
- Appreciate self management when you see it
- When asked for specific direction, respond with a question that solicits their opinion.
If fully self managed falls into someone’s zone of rejection, consider finding a smaller first step. Find out what decisions are they’re confident in making on their own and grow their capacity from there.
#YourTurn: How have you helped a team, grow their self management capability? Drop your thoughts below!
#Influence #Ship30For30