Transcript:
As the manager of the team it feels very proud when you can solve a problem. It doesn’t matter what question a team member comes up with we almost reply with a good answer on the fly and feel fantastic about it.
In fact, many of us who come from the corporate were promoted into management because we were good at two things one executing our current job and two solving problems figuring it out getting it done.
Overcoming challenges making it happen all variations of problem solving in the traditional management sense. We have experience and so we just know and find solutions quickly and easily than others. So, the thrill of solving problems is what drives us to manage teams with this particular style.
We’re a problem solver as soon as someone walks up to our desk with a problem. We give them the solution and off they go sooner or later you realize that your team is now so used to coming to you that they are no longer taking the effort to solve their own problems.
They just use you as their reference guide it’s easy this means that you’re doing all the work now and you actually become the bottleneck by the end of the day you’ve done everyone else’s work but your own.
So you are now working longer hours and are stressed this perpetual problem solver management style actually sets you up for failure and you cannot go on for very long this way,
hey there i’m tabish bibikar and i coach and mentor founders of software companies to build scale in their business fast. In this video i’m going to talk about difference between a problem solver and being a coach for your team as the manager of your team.
If you’re the only problem solver in the company, it creates a major limitation for growth imagine if you could actually coach all your direct reports to become great problem solvers themselves this would mean that you not only free up bandwidth for yourself but the speed at which tasks and issues get resolved in your company will be like 10x now because everyone is at it.
So imagine the impact you could create if instead of you managing your team by being a problem solver you actually become their coach and help them learn to be great problem solvers instead i completely understand that. In today’s context all managers face a great deal of pressure to produce results the temptation is to focus all our energy on the work that needs to get done quickly.
While this approach might produce results in the short term. It causes more work down the line a coaching approach is so much more better in the long term. A coach is someone who guides team members to their next level of potential thereby creating new leaders within the organization.
So coaching is a very important leadership skill for you to acquire but how do you become a coach for your team. Well, coaching involves asking and providing guidance provoking thought rather than giving directions and holding employees accountable for their own goals.
The aim is to guide and help someone work out their own course of action. This can be done by asking great questions as a coach, remember that you have to listen more than speak or offer advice. Your goal should be to empower them to think for themselves and come up with their own conclusions.
Here is a set of steps that you could follow when one of your team member approaches you for help i’m going to give you a set of questions that you can ask firstly ask the kickstart question. What’s on your mind, when they have explained it to you, then ask what else if they keep ranting and going on and on and you want them to become more focused.
Then ask the question what’s the real challenge here for you after they’ve explained calmly ask what have you tried this question ensures your team member to make some effort. Before requesting help from you and also helps you get an understanding of what they have actually already covered.
Next, ask what happened finish gathering facts about asking them to talk about the consequences of the solutions that they have tried in the past. Sometimes, the act of talking about it will help them figure out a new solution altogether next you could ask, what did you learn from this? With this question, you asked them to reflect on their own experience often the art the act of examining.
What happened and what learning they can draw from it will help them evaluate what else can you do help them think through other options if they come up with something then ask what do you think will happen if you try option a what about option b by asking these questions.
You’re getting your team member to explore the potential consequences of their own proposed solution this gives you insight into their choices practically next ask okay now that you have thought this through what will you do, the goal is for your team member to choose their solution when they choose it they own it next ask when do you think you can get started working on this.
This question will lock down both their intent and the timelines remember when a team member can’t solve problems good questions are your best solution get started on your coaching journey today. If you get stuck can need more help i’ll be happy to coach you through that.
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