Are You Limiting Your Team’s Ability To Grow With Your Hurry?

Last weekend I was in a hurry. I needed to get some grass seed out on some bare spots on my lawn before it rained. I’m walking out there with the bag, getting ready to throw the grass seed out and then I remember what’s on the bag. I take a pause. I see this every year… “For optimum seed growth, till the soil to a depth of 4 to 6 inches before applying the seeds.”

Frustration sets in.

Can’t the seed bag understand that I’m in a hurry? I don’t have time to do all of that! The reality is, however, if I want optimum growth, I do need to take the time to do that, and I did.

As leaders, I think we face a similar dilemma. You’re busy. You’ve got so much on your plate. And in the choice between choosing the action that will give you the best results and taking the action that gets it done, we sometimes take the action that gets it done. When we do that, we endanger our team from being able to grow at their optimum rate because we’re taking the easier way out.

What are some of those areas where I see leaders taking shortcuts that could endanger the growth of their team?

1) Daily and weekly check-ins. Those check-ins are so important working with that team member one-on-one to see what’s going on, what’s important to them, what are they prioritizing in their work to see where you could be of help to them.

2) Having non-work conversations with your team members. Keep in mind that they bring their hearts and minds to work each day. Talking to them about what’s going on in their lives outside of work will help keep them motivated while they are at work because they know that you value them more for just what they can get done.

3) Asking questions. Yes, it takes a few more seconds to say, “How might we?” verses “Go do this!” but you get such tremendous buy in from your team members when you’re willing to ask questions and then listen deeply to their answers.

4) Focusing on the individual growth of team members. When was the last time you slowed down enough to say something like, “What does that team member need to grow?” or “What does that team member need to take their performance to the next level?”

Here’s my challenge for you this week: In those moments when you’re in a hurry and you’re thinking of taking that easy way out just so you can get it done, stop yourself and ask, “If I were to do this in the optimum way, what would that look like? And as much as possible, begin to take those actions instead. Yes, it is a lot more work, but just like preparing the seed bed more properly for the grass seeds, you’ll get optimum results from your team.