When an engineer on your team comes to you, asking for a solution, they may feel a lack of capability. But what they’re experiencing may in fact be a lack of confidence, clarity, or courage.
Once you have determined that the situation they’re facing does not qualify for the kind of necessary intervention I talked about last week, your next coaching step as a manager is to learn what level of problem your team member is really trying to solve.
Do they know the goal they’re trying to accomplish? Do they know the steps to accomplish that goal? Do they have a track record of success with those steps? Do they know the potential side effects of those actions? Are they aware of the organization’s risk tolerance for those side effects?
When your team member comes to you feeling stuck with something you think they should be able to handle, it’s tempting to assume they’re showing either a lack of skill or a lack of effort. But when you can look beyond outward actions to see what’s keeping them stuck on the inside, and when you can help them resolve the root issue of confidence, clarity, or courage, then you’ll prepare them to face a whole class of similar issues in the future.
And if you’d like to explore your specific situation in more detail so you can become the manager your team needs, let’s talk. Visit stevedwire.com/talk to start the conversation.
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