In a previous role, as a relatively younger team leader of a young team, I certainly got along very well with my team members. The socialising aspect was easy and natural, and this fun and friendly culture allowed us to achieve a very positive and supportive working environment. One to be proud of and envied by others.
The team never shied from seeking assistance when the need arose which was a reflection of the group’s openness and awareness of each member’s capabilities and knowledge gaps. As a leader, I always ensured I was available to promptly assist my colleagues when the request arose. In some more complex cases, I would quickly grab their keyboard and mouse (ensuring it was cleaned the night before and with their permission, of course), tap and click away to get to the desired resolution to the problem, while they merely looked on.
As I walked and talked them through the motions, I assumed they were soaking in all the information so that they would be able to understand and tackle the issue or similar issues themselves if it arose again in the future. I assumed wrong.
Although the friendly culture we had fostered knocked down figurative walls that may have stood together open communication lines and hide and silence problems, it also caused team members and leaders, such as myself, to become too comfortable. Too comfortable that individuals in the team allowed and expected their leaders to ‘drive’ for them. And too comfortable so that leaders saw this as an opportunity to feel a sense of being valued because their team members continued to entrust them with this responsibility to help. However, when I reflected on the way I would reach for my colleagues’ keyboard and mouse, I also fostered a culture of reliance.
When I realised I needed to change my approach to helping them solve problems, what do you think happened when I began to not reach for their mouse? They sat there. Expecting me to completely take over, tap and click away and single-handedly resolve their problem.
All the time I thought I was helping my colleagues with their issues, I was actually stealing away valuable opportunities to engage the brilliance of their own mind to think and solve problems themselves. This approach did not develop my team members, nor I as a leader. Sometimes, we need to pause and take a moment to reconsider the way we think we are helping our people.
You see, our roles as leaders are not to be the subject matter experts on everything in our team’s scope and act as the ‘answers’ section at the back of a crossword puzzle book. If that were the case, we would become obsolete very quickly as peers eventually learn and know the answers. There needs to be a shift at our perception of the leader role. From simply being an individual with the experience to provide solutions, to a valuable member of the team responsible with empowering their team members to think and solve on their own. Whether or not we the leaders know the answer, empowering, guiding and watching our colleagues find their own way there is a much more rewarding thing.
About the Author
Aaron Pacheco
With the experience gained working as an auditor in a chartered accounting firm and leading finance operations teams in one of Australia’s largest listed companies, Aaron is always searching for opportunities to utilise his wide skillset to solve challenging business problems.
Aaron has a keen eye for process streamlining and exercises professional curiosity when observing any activity as he knows there is always room for improvement. Although being a fully qualified Chartered Accountant and having an innate appreciation for Excel validates Aaron’s technical ability, it is his natural people skills that he continues to build his professional identity.
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