Set up for success
Hello!
I hope you had a great week! This past week was a short week for me in the US. We had Juneteenth Holiday. Anyhow, let's get with today's issue!
Lately, I've been focusing more on setting people up for success.
I've been doing two things. One is to understand where we have failed in the past, and two, to attempt to help people and calibrate my own experiences. Actions have to match what the organization will "allow." Not all activities will be accepted as-is.
Let's see some of my actions with people I've worked with in the past few weeks.
Right Expectations
Not setting clear expectations was one of the first things I noticed we needed to do correctly at the organization.
When we started projects and people were assigned as leads or owners, we had a goal to achieve, but we needed to set measurable goals or ask for plans, milestones, etc. That left the person assigned to struggle by themselves. Because during status updates, the person didn't have the information handy, only anecdotally.
In the end, being clear works way better, especially with people who are afraid to ask for help after being assigned a task.
Ask what help they need
Depending on the person you're working with, asking how you can help them can also help you understand their mental model around their assigned task.
Based on the person's experience, they might have more concrete asks for help or have too general requests. In some cases, they need more tools or knowledge. You have to let them know you're there every step of the way.
Some people might say they don't need help, so be curious and ask questions to understand where they're struggling or need more clarity.
Regular Check-ins
Even if someone says they don't need help, regular check-ins are essential to hold them accountable.
The check-in is a perfect moment to understand how they feel about the assignment and coach them on what you see needs to be added or if they need more experience or a tool to keep moving forward.
As with the general leadership idea of "listening more, talking less," asking to clarify or guiding them through asks is also a good idea here.
In other cases, being direct might be required. Some people need help understanding via questions and require a more direct approach or statement to be unblocked.
Recognize Accomplishments
An essential aspect of being a good leader is recognizing the work of the people you work with.
Especially when the assigned person has been deep in the project without the time to look back at what has been accomplished already, the path forward might still be long, but it's good to celebrate the victories along the way.
Being present and aware of your teammates' achievements is critical to leadership.
Trust Them
While we can help and provide our teammates with as much coverage as possible, we must trust their decisions for their assignments.
Giving each of the teammates you work with a voice and letting them make their own decisions is essential to keep in mind while helping them succeed.
Knowing you trust them to make the right choices is also an empowering notion and will help them with their motivation and accountability.
Your Turn!
Have any of these actions resonated with you? Let me know how you help your teammates. How do you set up your teams for success?
Happy coding!
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