If a job’s worth doing…I may as well do it myself

Heard it before? Said it yourself? Hmmmm….so what is the impact of this? In my experience, this leads to our teams becoming de-motivated, outcomes being compromised, and us becoming frazzled.

So, what’s the problem?

I often experience people telling me that they are so busy, that they don’t have time to spend quality moments with their teams; coaching and supporting them through their development. The perception and excuse is often related to the fast pace of today’s business world…but I would challenge that. I have been in business way longer than today’s technology which has sped up our world, and whilst that means that things happen faster, I still remember the ‘time issue’ being at the very epicentre of ‘excuses' as to why managers and leaders don’t take the time to coach their teams.

What needs to change?

If you find yourself in this situation (and many of you reading this will, or will be able to identify with this)…ask yourself “what are the consequences of not changing this?” Go on…take a minute to jot down the first 5 things that will ‘fail’ if you don’t change this.

It’s pretty alarming, if we are honest with ourselves.

Top ten tips

So, here are my top ten thoughts for those of you who would like to step out of that rut. For some of you there will be familiar thoughts…for others, it will be a refreshing way to look at this and it will
give you some ideas to help you make that shift.

1. People want to be stretched; most people I speak with tell me that they are stimulated and motivated by learning something new.
2. You will (eventually) get better results; our people often have a fresh and new way of looking at things…unlock that potential and you will unlock better outcomes.
3. Through a consultative approach to coaching, most people will become increasingly aware and therefore self-sufficient in their development. There are core skills that you need to be able to do this, which you can learn.
4. The most important skill for coaching is your ability to connect, build trust and listen; this is about them, not you.
5. You don’t need to be ‘the expert’ – keep your ego out of it, know that there is not necessarily a ‘right right’ way, and be open to unlocking new ways through others’ ideas and input
6. Know that you need to make coaching a priority…..book in time, stick to it, give it the importance it deserves.
7. Your team should feel the ‘weight of expectation’ – it’s not ‘OK’ not to try…this is about growth.
8. Play to your team’s strengths…you will get so much more out of them if you do; of course, people need to learn to do stuff that they are not so good at…but if you push a square peg into a round hole…it’s not going to work.
9. Work with each team member as an individual – they will have a preferred way of being, and it is your job to make sure that you adapt to this.
10. Finally, remember that being a great coach is one of the most rewarding aspects of your job as a manager or leader. Remember also, that the very best managers and leaders will almost always have a reputation for being a great coach…the two so often go hand in hand.

Go on…create a reputation of being an amazing coach, and next time you hear yourself saying “If a job’s worth doing, I may as well do it myself”, remember what you could be missing out on!

Good luck!