It is frustrating when you see an example of where you are not empowering and motivating your people the way you want to! It is almost as frustrating as when your kids do that thing that you hate…..that you do!
In the interest of transparency, here’s my most recent:
One of my team’s was in their status yesterday. A direct report had an important task to complete that was due at the end of the day. This task required him to have a specific setup and set of permissions.
He submitted the required form in which he requested both of the two permissions required. One was complete; the other was not.
When we asked about progress toward the second, he said he’d sent an email. That was the status.
Again, being transparent, my first emotion was anger…..for about 1.7 seconds. Then, I was frustrated with myself.
Here was an employee that I, as a leader, had failed. In the time that I have worked with him, I have taught him to Wait For A Sandwich! He submitted the required forms and when the work was not completed correctly, his response was to send an email…..and wait!
That’s on me!
Parents, when your kids are hungry, do you send them to the kitchen table to wait while you fix them food? Or do you take that opportunity to show them where the bread and peanut butter is in the Pantry?
The same thing applies to those whom we seek to lead. Do we, by our actions, teach them to Wait For A Sandwich or are we investing the effort to teach them to Make A Sandwich? If you are “working the magic” around the Process, it might make you feel like you are doing something important, but might you instead be teaching others to bring problems to you to fix?
Are you being the Expert or the Enabler? Are you teaching them to Wait or to Make?
