Every Thursday, we show you a real life management challenge, explain how traditional approaches come up short, and then walk you through how you could use AiMS thinking and tools to confidently overcome them in your own team. A few small, but important changes in how you think, talk and act can immediately increase your ability to drive results, improve culture and develop your people.
The Situation
A very common scenario leaders face is their team members come to them to make decisions or solve problems the team member’s should be able to handle themselves.
People do this for many different reasons; they might lack confidence, they might fear being punished for making a mistake or they might not have the information/resources they need.
What Goes Wrong
Leaders often fall into the pattern of answering questions for their team members due to a range of underlying reasons, which can inadvertently discourage team autonomy and problem-solving. Here are three of the most common:
- Wanting to Help: Leaders often answer questions to be helpful, but this can stop team members from learning to solve problems themselves.
- Enjoying Expert Status: Some leaders like being seen as the expert. They answer questions to maintain this status, even if it’s better for the team to find answers on their own.
- Micromanaging Tendencies: Leaders who micromanage tend to answer all questions themselves, thinking it’s necessary for success. This can prevent the team from being independent and creative.
The AiMS Way: Lead With Curiosity
The most effective teams and organizations have the right people with the right skills doing the right work. Your job is a leader is to encourage and empower people by delegating and being supportive.
When someone comes to you for help on something you think they should be able to handle themselves, ask them this question:
What was your thought process when deciding whether or not to come to me?
Remember: there’s no right or wrong answer here. You’re simply curious about their thinking.
Tip: Don’t start a question like this with “Why“. It can make someone feel defensive because it can imply judgment or criticism, suggesting that the person needs to justify or explain their actions. This interrogation-style phrasing can make the individual feel as though they are under scrutiny or being accused of making a mistake, leading to a defensive response.
Some follow up questions that will help you set them up for success next time could be:
- What have you tried and what ideas are you considering? What do you see as the most promising ideas?
- What support do you need so you feel empowered to handle a situation like this next time?
Often people know they answer and are looking for confirmation. Effective generative questions can help them realize they had the answer all along or were perfectly capable of finding it.
The AiMS ToolKit
AiMS (Appreciative Inquiry Management System) is all about asking the kinds of questions that unlock and mobilize the genius in your team. We have many simple and practical lists of generative questions you can use in many different contexts: team meetings, relationship building, interviewing etc.
Our leadership training program teaches you how to use questions to radically elevate your ability to simultaneously drive results, improve culture and belonging while supporting your team’s well-being and growth.
