Don’t solve that problem

I get a real buzz from solving problems, Rob* said. People bring their issues to me and I can usually see how to solve them very quickly, way before they can. People know we’ll solve the problem well and quickly when they come to me.

Matt* wants to be a servant leader. He sees his job as removing barriers for his team so they can be successful. So he solves their problems for them when they bring them to him.

Laura* said she kept falling into the trap of choosing the quick wins of solving the problems she can when presented with opportunities to let her team figure out how to solve them for themselves.

None of these names are real, but their stories are. Holding yourself back from jumping in with a beautiful solution can be one of the hardest things to do as a leader. But if you don’t, your individual capacity to solve problems becomes your limitation. The value you add is the sum total of the problems you solve.

If instead you want to add value by taking on responsibility for the problems an entire team can solve, your role is to help them solve the problems. Reminding yourself of this can help: you redefine the problem you are solving in terms of helping the team solve theirs. Or you can think of it this way: what opportunities have you had to develop yourself to the point where you are now? What are you doing to give your team members opportunities to learn on the job?

Helping people learn how to solve their own problems is not a hands-off choice. Until you are used to it, a coaching leadership approach may even take a little longer: it does require some time investment upfront from you as a leader. The return on that investment is that you make your team more self-guided and capable and that you extend the scope of your responsibility to what the team as a whole can accomplish. You may even find you have more time to think about your own strategic priorities. Think of all the time you’re spending on solving things just because you can. How could you get a greater return on that time?

Get in touch if you’d like my help in your journey to coach your team more.

* not their real names!

photo Deby Hudson on Unsplash