What to do when your team won’t make decisions.
This was an excellent question asked recently by a coaching client. She said “Ros, my team leaders won’t make decisions. They come to me all the time so I can tell them what to do. How do I encourage them to come to me with solutions not problems”?
This is a common issue for leaders at all levels. Let’s unpack what I discussed with my client as we look at a real-life example of what to do when your team won’t make decisions. (5 minutes 43s watch time).
To reiterate the key takeaways from the video:
Slow down to speed up – see this as an investment of your time in the development of your people.
Accept decisions that are 80% there. As long as it won’t make the situation worse, it gives the person a safe place to practice and learn. Even if it’s not what you would do.
The biggest gift you can give someone in your team is the feeling of being safe. Remove the triggers that create a threat response and you will have people who do their best thinking, best decision making, and get their best results because you are letting them bring their best thinking brain to the table.
This is a snapshot of some of the things we discussed. I thought it would be useful for many leaders when you ask the question, Why do my people come to me for decisions all the time?
You are certainly not alone if you find yourself in the same boat as my client. If this resonated with you, and you’d like to have a confidential conversation, you can book a 30-minute complimentary conversation with Ros here.
You might also find this article useful: Using Technology to Improve Your Decision-Making Process