Discontinue Resolving Your Team's Problems for Them

0:28This episode is brought to you by Google Chrome. trying to solve every problem their team brings to them. You care. You want to be helpful. But over time, this dynamic creates decision fatigue, bottlenecks, and dependency on you. I'm Elizabeth Littardo. I work with leaders to build high-performing teams without burning themselves out in the process. Here are five questions I use with my clients to help reduce leadership overwhelm and prompt independent thinking and problem-solving in the teams they lead. What have you tried? This sends a signal that you're happy to help, but only after some initial effort.

1:01The first time you ask this question, you might be met with nothing yet. But over time, your team will start coming with possible solutions, not just raw problems. What or who is getting in the way? This question helps you find out the real issue. It could be a budget constraint, a sign-off level, or another department that's holding things up. This enables you to remove the blocker once instead of constantly taking on these micro problems. What support do you need? Most well-intended leaders will default to asking, what support do you need from me? But what that question does is it unintentionally limits the volume of support avenues.

1:40It could be you. It could also be another leader, a colleague, or a tool your team hasn't thought to use yet. What would you do if you were in my seat? Over time, this builds repeatable problem-solving muscles. they're more likely to come to you with context, having thought about the trade-offs and what resources they might need, instead of just handing you a cold problem. Is there anything else I should know? Sometimes your team member doesn't actually need you to solve the problem. They just don't want you to be surprised by it. This question enables you to keep communication open without reflexively grabbing the problem off of their plate.

2:14Of course, there will be times when you have to step in and solve the problem, but not all the time. And these five questions can help you decide. Being a supportive leader does not mean doing it all yourself. You can read the full article on hbr.org.