How To Make The Switch From Fixing To Empowering
Given your DMs about my last blog post, “Slowing Down To See People, Not As Problems,” I wanted to offer some additional guidance, if the switch from fixing your teams problems to empowering them to solve their own is harder for you, and you find yourself struggling to keep your employees feeling supported, and your calendar from overflowing with unnecessary meetings, this post is here to help you get back to peak performance.
How Do We Fix The Not Fixing?
The fear and uncertainty that we face as leaders, coupled with how we respond to the inevitable challenges that arise, can trickle down in subtle and not-so-subtle ways to our teams, showing up in the interactions and relationships amongst teammates and leadership. How you manage your thoughts and regulate your emotions, or don’t, ripples through the lives of those who work for us, causing them to feel safe, or not. This is called, “Psychological Safety” and it is the buzz word du jour across the business leadership landscape.
The problem with the movement to fix is that we not only dominate the conversation and shut down those around us, but we don’t actually give the person who is struggling the space to be with the fullness of their experience. While quickly providing solutions to employees’ problems can be tempting, given your pressing deadlines and long list of important tasks, consider the value-building approach of asking them the right questions, which include benefits like helping them develop their problem-solving abilities, creativity, and resourcefulness.
One of the ways we begin to alter our reactive, dismissive behavior is to ask ourselves “Whose feelings am I trying to take care of in this moment?”
The Switch From Fixing To Empowering
Instead, choosing to slow down to explore what’s really going on, and remaining open to what an individual or group needs in the moment. Recognizing that fears, worries, and concerns are best discussed collectively, and without judgement, needing to be rational, or to ‘be fixed.’
One of the uncomfortable realities of our society is that we don’t actually listen to one another. We don’t reward the listening skills, which includes silence, or letting someone finish a thought without interruption. Learning how not to fix is an essential part of listening well, which can be hard for those of us wired to alleviate problems when we see them.
A 5-Minute Self Check-In Exercise To Build Self-Awareness
Self-awareness is a prerequisite to the relational awareness required for high-functioning teams to work together successfully. Relational awareness is what fuels every interaction in an organization.
Leaders who engage directly in the process of raising their consciousness with a coach, with their team, and with HR, set the tone for a real cultural shift to happen.
Start by asking yourself:
What does it feel like to be at this organization?
How are we interacting?
What fosters a sense of belonging and safety?
Do my employees feel safe to bring their whole selves to work?
The Results: A Healthier Culture, High-Functioning Teams Working Together More Successfully
The more we focus on our organizations and how we’re interacting with each other, we not only create the financial success, but also work environments where human beings can thrive and become their best selves.
Your employees are not problems, they’re people. Importantly, that doesn’t mean you don’t hold them accountable for doing good work. You can be humane, and hold people accountable, while also providing clarity around roles, responsibilities, and expectations.
If you find yourself struggling to inspire and motivate your employees, and keep them feeling supported so that they can do their best work, shoot me an email and we can talk.
WHO IS REMM CURTIS?
REMM CURTIS is an executive coach working with NYC and beyond's best and brightest leaders stay at the top of their game. If you would like to talk about what the best version of you could look like, get in touch.