I know I used a rather judgmental word in the title here. I said, “bottleneck.”
I know it can feel frustrating to have your progress halted by indecision or inaction from the leaders above you who are supposed to be helping you succeed. A “bottleneck” is exactly how it feels.
And when that happens, you usually can’t tell why. Maybe they’re not delegating enough and trying to retain too much control. Maybe they’re overwhelmed or distracted and simply haven’t given your team the attention it needs. Maybe they’re facing opposition that they need to resolve before you will be able to succeed. Maybe they’re dealing with a major regulatory or organizational risk or other genuinely sensitive situation that would make any decision or action premature.
But not knowing can just make it that much more frustrating for you – especially when your team is pressing you for an answer.
It’s tempting to become defensive and commiserate with your team at the lack of response from “management.” But there’s a more productive response that can help both you and your team.
If it’s an uncharacteristic delay from a leadership team that’s usually responsive, recognize that the delay may be the most appropriate thing.
If it’s a typical delay from a controlling or overwhelmed leadership, recognize that they’re almost certainly not purposely trying to derail your success. Rather, they’re probably facing a limitation of their own.
In either case, view it as an opportunity to learn. Is there a skill or experience the leadership wants you to have before you can make this kind of decision? Is there something you can learn about the current situation that will help you understand the need for delay? What might happen if you approached your management with that kind of humble curiosity?
If you’d like to explore your situation further, let’s talk. Visit stevedwire.com/talk to start the conversation.