You’re right. You deserve high-quality, carefully considered feedback in your performance review. Your manager should take this seriously and do it right.

But often they don’t. It’s statistically likely that you (or a friend) will be blindsided by the performance feedback you receive. Let’s get ahead of it this year with some Powerful Phrases to ask for, and engage In a more meaningful conversation.

Powerful Phrases to Deal with Lazy, Vague, Frustrating Feedback

A few years ago, I wrote “Avoid These Infuriating Phrases in End-of-Year Feedback” to encourage managers to stop making stupid comments when giving a performance review.

This heartfelt post came from years of listening to high-performing employees vent their frustrations about frustrating phrases their managers said. If you’re a manager who struggles with performance reviews, please start there.

How to Respond to the Most Infuriating Kind of Performance Review

For the rest of you (or your friends), let’s prepare for that frustrating feedback this year and prepare you with some Powerful Phrases for when the conversation goes sideways.

1. “I don’t have much end-of-year feedback for you. You know you’re doing great.”

I hate this one as much as you do. If you’re hearing this, you probably are doing great, but it doesn’t give you much to build on or improve.

Some options to start your empowered response:

• “Wow, thanks so much! I appreciate your support. This year, I feel particularly proud about __________ (insert that accomplishment you expected them to bring up). I’m curious about your perspective on that _______(project, strategy, accomplishment). Why did that work from your perspective? What made that work so well, and how might I bring more of that into my work?”
• “Thank you! You know, one area I’m really working to improve on is _________. What is one suggestion you have for how I can be more effective in that arena?”
• “Thank you! I’m curious about what specifically you appreciate about what I’m doing here. I’m very focused on ensuring next year is even better, and I’d love your help in knowing what I should continue doing and ideas to help me really differentiate my performance next year.”

2. “I rated you as meets expectations for your end-of-year feedback. Your performance really was an “exceeds” but I had to make the math work out.” Or, even worse, “I could only have one person in that category.”

Okay, you have a serious right to be ticked off here. I’ve been there, on both sides of this awkward conversation.

And it’s probably too late to change the math or the rating. I know this because as a Verizon executive I’ve fought this battle many times for the high-performers on my team, and the answer was “pick one.”

Your manager may be as (or even more) frustrated than you.

In my article on infuriating phrases, my advice to your manager is to stay focused on results and behaviors, rather than the rating. And, to be clear about the criteria that they used to calibrate performance and where you met and exceeded those criteria and opportunities to improve in the future. To stay away from comparisons to other employees, or blaming other people for the rating they received.

And now, some options to start your empowered response: 

• “Oh, wow. That must have put you in a difficult situation. And, I’ve got to tell you, that makes me feel really ___________(insert emotion here, but try not to scream or cry).”
• “I’ve worked incredibly hard this year and I really don’t want to be having a similar conversation this time next year. Can we outline what I need to do for next year to make ‘exceeds’ (or whatever your rating equivalent is) the obvious rating? I’d love to build a plan to ensure I have the success I’m looking for.”
• “I really appreciate your support. And I’ve got to tell you I’m pretty frustrated. This affects my compensation too (if that’s true). I’d really like to talk to HR to express my concerns about this.”

3. “I know we haven’t talked about this before, but _____”

This one’s tricky because your manager certainly shouldn’t blindside you this way in your performance review. There are a few angles you might choose to take. If they’ve put something in writing that’s coming out of the blue, you might request to have that removed, requesting a fair chance to address it before it turns up in the documentation.

And, here are some empowering phrases that might be useful.

• “I appreciate your feedback and your desire to help me improve. I’m wondering what we could do to set up a more regular cadence of feedback throughout the year, so there are no surprises next time.”
• “I’m a bit surprised by this feedback and would like to take some time to digest it. Let’s set up a follow-up in a week to talk a bit more.”
• “Since this is the first time I’ve heard this feedback, can you please give me some time to address this before you put it in the formal review? Here’s my approach to improving in this area.”

4.”I don’t really have any specific examples, but it’s become a real issue.”

If you hear this in your performance review, and you can’t think of any examples either, I’d recommend you push for some examples.

• “I’m deeply committed to improving my performance in this arena. And, it’s really hard to understand what needs to change without some concrete examples.”
• “I really would like to understand this more. I’m struggling to come up with examples too.”
• “Can you please tell me more? I’d really like to get a better understanding of your concern here.”

5. “I’ve gotten a lot of feedback from other people about your performance in this arena. Who? I’m not at liberty to say.

As with most of these awkward performance review phrases, I would start with a gut check. If your manager is raising an issue and it feels true to you, then your best bet is to own it and work on it.

However, if this third-party performance review feedback feels unfair, then I would press for more information.

• “Hmmm. That’s tricky. I don’t see it that way. It would be really helpful for me to talk directly with those concerned. Can you please ask them to come to me with their concerns so I have a chance to talk with them directly about it?”
• “Have you noticed this issue yourself? Does this seem like something that’s consistent with what you’ve observed?”
• “I’d like a chance to better understand this issue. Who do you suggest I talk with to learn more?”

6. “Just write up your accomplishments and I’ll sign it.”

It’s a great idea to submit your accomplishments. After all, you’re closer to the work you’ve done and the impact you’ve made.

Say yes, and then…

• “I’d be delighted to write up my accomplishments (see How to help your boss give you a better performance review for tips on how to do that well).”
• “I would also really appreciate your feedback and perspective on my performance this year. When would be a good time for us to talk through my performance review?”
• “Here you go (hand them your accomplishments). I’m also really interested in your feedback on how I can make next year my best year ever. I got this great development discussion planner from Let’s Grow Leaders. I’d love to schedule some time to go through that.”

While lazy, vague, and frustrating feedback can feel super irritating, it also gives you a chance to take responsibility for your career development. Ask for what you need and giveyour manager the opportunity to rise to the occasion. Sometimes their insights will surprise, and help you make that next step.

Related Articles

12 Powerful Phrases For Navigating Challenging Workplace Conflict

How to Help Your Team’s Performance Stand Out for Better Recognition

The post Performance Review: How to respond to frustrating or lazy performance feedback appeared first on Let's Grow Leaders.

You didn’t mean to tick them off, but here you are. Your words backfiring like a faulty engine, and now a cloud of awkwardness fills the room. You know collaboration matters and you want to be a team player. So what went wrong?

5 Phrases to Avoid if You Want Better Collaboration on Your Team

Let’s talk about some of the most common phrases that sabotage collaboration, why they’re so annoying, and what to do instead.

1. Let’s Agree to Disagree

In the realm of collaboration, “Let’s Agree to Disagree” is basically your team’s attempt at taking a shortcut around a gnarly problem—except this shortcut leads straight into a brick wall painted like a tunnel à la Wile E. Coyote. You’re not solving anything. What you’re really saying is, “I value the absence of conflict more than I value arriving at a shared solution.”

Sure, it momentarily saves face, avoids immediate friction, and allows everyone to sidestep the awkwardness—but it also bookmarks that problem for a sequel. Now you’ve got an unresolved issue lurking in the background like an unopened email forever marked as ‘important’ but never read.

Instead of closing the door on discussion, why not keep it ajar for more ideas, refinements, and maybe—just maybe—finding a path to team unity that doesn’t involve mutual evasion tactics?

If you’re looking for some additional confidence and conversation starters see, Let’s Talk About It: How to Start the Conversation Everyone Wants to Avoid.

And a few of our Powerful Phrases G.O.A.T.s work great here too.  For example:

“I care about _____ (you, this team, this project) and I’m confident we can find a solution that we can all work with.” or “Let’s start with what we agree on.”

2. It’s Too Late to Change Course Now

This phrase acts like quicksand for team progress, promoting a fixed and inflexible approach that could stifle innovation and adaptability. By saying it’s too late to change course, the team shuts down opportunities to adapt to new circumstances or pivot based on fresh insights. It can trap the team in a “sunk cost fallacy,” escalating commitments to failing or suboptimal projects. The phrase discourages reevaluation and course correction, which are often necessary for fast-paced, ever-changing landscapes.

Curiosity powerful phrases work great here.

“I know we’ve already invested a lot here, and changing course would be rough. But I’m curious about what you’re thinking. Can you tell me more?”

See Also: How to Not Be Perceived as Negative at Work.

3. I’ve Done My Part, The Rest Is Up to You

This phrase sounds like a benign statement of task completion, but its impact is anything but. It subtly erodes the sense of collective ownership and accountability that are vital for effective teamwork. By declaring that one has “done their part,” it implies a disinterest in the project’s broader success and fosters a culture of siloed responsibilities. This can be detrimental to team morale and unity, as it signals a lack of engagement with the project’s overall objectives. Moreover, it inhibits cross-functional collaboration and skill-sharing, ultimately limiting the team’s versatility and adaptability.

Instead try, “What can I do to be helpful here?”

4. That’s a Terrible Idea

You’re not Simon Cowell judging amateur karaoke, and even if you were, every idea has some merit. In an era of disruptions and paradigm shifts, the ‘terrible’ idea you scoff at could well be the next big thing. Instead of shutting down your colleagues, respond with regard, with gratitude, information, and an invitation to continue contribution.

For more on responding well and getting more remarkable ideas, you might want to take a peek at Karin’s popular TEDx talk, The Secret to Getting Remarkable Ideas You Can Actually Use. 

5. We don’t have time for this

Of course, it might be true. You might not have time to talk about their idea or suggestion right now. And, if you want better collaboration, consider how you can keep the conversation on track while being respectful of what your teammates want to say.

Instead, you might try a few of these phrases for better collaboration.

“This is an important topic; let’s schedule a dedicated meeting to discuss it.”

“I understand this is a key issue. Can you summarize it in a few points, and then we’ll decide on the best time to dig deeper?”

“Let’s identify the most immediate priorities for today’s meeting, and make sure we allocate time for this in the near future.”

This one is a proactive approach that involves the team in prioritizing tasks, including the issue brought up, for future discussions.

In conclusion, the next time you find these phrases slipping off the tip of your tongue, pause. Replace them with phrases that promote an atmosphere of innovation, openness, and collaboration. It’s not just about keeping up with the buzzwords; it’s about fostering a culture where everyone’s a buzz-worthy contributor.

The post Stop Right There! 5 Phrases that Crush Collaboration and Tank Teamwork appeared first on Let's Grow Leaders.

I don’t know about you, but we love a good “year-in-review” list. There’s something about looking back over the entire year and seeing what stands out. More than the list itself, it’s the conversation that it provokes that each of us finds compelling: “Really, that was your favorite…. interesting.” “Oh, I almost forgot about that one. That WAS a big deal.”

What are your year-in-review highlights? How would your highlight reel compare to the year-in-review highlights from your team?

A “what stands out” conversation can be a great team builder for your end-of-year meeting, or to enhance your December one-on-ones.

7 Questions to Help Your Team Reflect on the Year

Here are a few questions to help you facilitate a year-in-review conversation.

1. What are your personal bests?

One fun way to do personal bests is to give your team a list of potential “best ofs” to choose from, and have each team member pick one or two personal bests to share.

Best…

• Day (this one can be a lot of fun, and great for storytelling).
• Accomplishment (it’s always interesting to see which people choose– it’s a great indicator of what matters most to them).
• Contribution to the Team (also interesting to see what people see as their “best of,” and, of course, this can set the table for additional gratitude).
• Customer Win (it’s easy for “going the extra mile” for customer stories to go unnoticed. Here’s a chance to share.
• Idea (Celebrate the I.D.E.A.s (the remarkable ones), and even the great ones you were not able to use.
• Comeback (Filling the room with great come-back stories is always energizing).
• Collaboration (This is a chance to talk about when teamwork was at its very best)

Of course, a good follow-up question is… what made these best-ofs so great? And how do we get more of that next year?

2. Which of our projects/efforts/contributions was most impactful to the organization?

This is a great way to help your team consider how their work aligns with your organization’s strategic priorities.

This works well, even for frontline employees who may not be involved in projects with a capital “P.” Invited them to talk about ways they have contributed to improving results.

The natural follow-up conversation is to talk about how your team can continue to contribute in meaningful ways.

3. How have you grown this year personally and professionally?

Probes: In what areas have you developed? What development and training were the most impactful? What new skills did you learn? Which areas of your performance have most improved?

4. Who helped you most this year? How? What difference did it make?

Even if you’ve already thanked someone, you can’t go wrong with including gratitude in your year-in-review. A quick lightning round of this question is a great meeting starter.

5. What’s your biggest lesson learned?

What did you learn and how? How will you apply that learning in the future?

6. What would you do differently if you were to live this same year again?

Closely related to the lesson learned, this question is a good one to set the stage for strategic changes, priorities, and new habits for next year.

7. What important question should we add to our year-in-review discussion?

This question empowers your team to identify specific areas they would like to talk about as part of the end-of-year review.

We would love to hear from you. What questions would you include in an end-of-year review?  What would you include in your best of highlight reel?

The post Year-in-Review: 7 Questions to Help Your Team Reflect on Success and Key Learnings appeared first on Let's Grow Leaders.

Smart Advice for Leaders Who Want a Promotion

00:00 – “Leadership without Losing Your Soul: Episode 238. Today’s focus: Team leaders eager for promotion and practical leadership strategies.”

02:01 – “Frustration in Promotion: Avoid telling team leaders, ‘Give it time, you’re not ready yet.’ Discover actionable steps for seeking advancement.”

03:03 – “Knowledge and Wisdom: Understanding your business, its revenue model, and the impact of your team’s work is crucial for aspiring leaders.” 

04:28 – “Ask Why Respectfully: Seek big picture goals for better alignment and strategic thinking.” 

06:09 – “What Matters Most: Align with organizational values and outcomes beyond securing advanced degrees.”

07:07 – “Ambitious Team Leaders: Communicate your aspirations for higher roles and seek feedback on skills and experiences needed.”

Team Leaders: Focus on Results!

10:04 – “Results Focus: Ensure their teams meet KPIs and tackle challenges proactively for promotion readiness.”

13:41 – “Relationship Building: As a team leader, prioritizing peer relationships and collaboration is key for career advancement.”

17:11 – “Building Leaders: Focus on developing leadership skills within their teams to become more promotable.”

21:40 – “Speaking Up: Sharing ideas and solutions can establish team leaders as critical thinkers and proactive contributors.”

The post For Team Leaders Who Want A Promotion appeared first on Let's Grow Leaders.

So what do you do when your well-meaning, enthusiastic team-member is just talking too much in meetings?  It’s tricky, particularly in virtual meetings.

“Hi Karin, I watched your #AskingforaFriend about how to encourage people to speak up more in meetings, but I’ve got the EXACT OPPOSITE CHALLENGE. I’ve got a well-meaning, really strong performer, who is talking too much. I don’t want to squash his enthusiasm, but I also don’t want him to shut other people down. What should I do?”

Three Ways to Get More Voices in the Room

3 Ways to Encourage a More Inclusive Conversation

1. Go directly to the employee who is talking too much

Of course, the obvious place to start is to have a caring, straightforward conversation with the employee. Ask them to help resolve the issue by taking some ownership around bringing more voices into the room. If this person is talking too much, chances are they are confident speaking up in a group and have some influence among their colleagues.

So, they could try using their voice to empower others versus stealing the show. If you need some pointers on how to initiate a challenging conversation read this article, How to Start the Conversation Everyone Wants to Avoid.

2. Reset expectations for the entire team

Inclusive and collaborative meetings are essential for driving innovation and fostering a thriving team dynamic. It’s not just that you want the employee who is talking too much to talk less….you want other people to talk more. You want everyone to have an equal opportunity to share their ideas so you can unlock the full potential of your team. Invite everyone to come prepared with one idea on how to make your meetings more inclusive.

You might go a step further and dedicate an entire session to idea generation to get the wheels spinning. Download our free I.D.E.A. Incubator Guide to hear less from the guy who is talking too much and hear more from the rest of the team. Using a structured facilitation technique will also make it clear to the person talking too much that you’re not interested in letting one person monopolize the conversation.

3. When people are talking too much, use the power of chat

To make sure everyone has the chance to speak up try using the chat feature or other technology tools. One way to do this is before you ask a question make it clear you want everyone’s input. Stop one person from talking too much by asking everyone to put their fingers on their keyboard and get ready to respond. Then take time to read some of the responses out loud to let your team know you’re paying attention.

You could also leverage technology tools to facilitate equal participation, especially in larger meetings or remote settings. Try programs like interactive polling apps, virtual whiteboards, or collaboration software to give your team alternative ways to share their ideas. This way the ones who aren’t talking too much have a chance to contribute, regardless of their communication style or level of extroversion.

Lastly, don’t forget to recognize and celebrate the contributions of each person on your team. Regardless of the size or impact of their ideas, they need to know that their voice is important. Create a courageous culture where people speak up and idea sharing and innovative thinking are normalized. By doing so, you promote a sense of collective ownership and inspire individuals to share their ideas.

That’s a start. What are your best practices for keeping one person from talking too much and making your meetings more inclusive? Please share in the comments below.

And, if you’re ready for your teams to accelerate performance and create sustainable positive culture change from within, download a free demo of our Team Accelerator manager-led program here.

The post How to Encourage an Employee Stop Talking Too Much (Without Squashing Their Enthusiasm) appeared first on Let's Grow Leaders.

You take performance management seriously. You care deeply about your team, their results, and their long-term career success. If you’re reading this, it sounds like you’re feeling a bit frustrated and stuck, because your well-intentioned accountability conversations aren’t fixing a repeated issue. If this sounds familiar, today’s Asking or a Friend is for you.

“Karin, there is this person on my team that I really care about and want to be successful. But they have one important behavior that’s SABOTAGING THEIR SUCCESS… and they don’t seem to be able to fix it. I keep having the conversation AGAIN and AGAIN. What can I do? #askingforafriend

Human-centered performance management means giving meaningful feedback that reinforces clear expectations and gives space for emotions, support, and reflection. It’s a two-way conversation that helps the employee identify their own next steps. When you’ve had this conversation, and your employee repeats the past behavior then you know you need to escalate the conversation. Here’s how.

Performance Management with the A.R.T. Method

Let’s Grow Leader’s A.R.T. Method of Advanced Accountability is a popular technique in our foundational leadership development programs. The A.R.T. Method helps you escalate the conversation in a way that continues to build the relationship while striving for results.

Step 1: A – Action

Most feedback conversations start by discussing a specific action. The first conversation you have with someone about their performance should clearly address the specific behavior that is problematic – being late for meetings, dismissing a colleague’s ideas, or not following through on a task. You could use our I.N.S.P.I.R.E. Method to map out this conversation so it’s supportive and collaborative.

Step 2: R – Repetition

So if you’ve had two Action conversations and your team member repeats the behavior, it’s time to move to R-Repetition.

You can still use the I.N.S.P.I.R.E. Method, but this time instead of pointing out the problematic action, you will call attention to the repetitive pattern. For example, “I’ve noticed a pattern where you’re arriving late.”

If it’s a repeating pattern, it’s possible the person isn’t aware of their actions and they aren’t noticing the consequences of their behavior. When you address the issue, it makes it clear to them that you notice and can help them identify something they weren’t even unaware of.

The key to this performance management step that can bring about change is to ask for a specific commitment about what they will do differently. Then work together and agree on a time to “schedule the finish.” This means scheduling a time when you’re going to check in on progress and discuss how it’s going. When you schedule the finish, make sure you follow through and check in when the time comes.

Step 3: T – Trust

When you’ve had a recent Repetition conversation and the behavior happens again, you will need to escalate the conversation once more. This time your performance management conversation is about not keeping their commitment and the erosion of trust because of it. When you tell your team member what you’re noticing it won’t be about the original action.

Now the problematic behavior is them not keeping their commitment.

What to say when you have a trust issue

Here’s an example of what you could say if you get to the T – Trust part of the A.R.T. Method:

“Do you remember the commitment you made last Friday? So here’s the thing. I noticed that this week, you didn’t keep your word, and I’m concerned.

Listen, I want to be able to trust you. I know you want to be able to trust me as your leader, as your manager. You’ve got to be able to take my word and bank on it. And I want to have that same relationship with you. Right now, that’s not happening. I want to see you succeed. I want the best for you. It’s important that you achieve all of your goals here, and this is going to prevent that. So what’s happening here? How do you think we can fix it?”

I’m curious, what would you add? What are your best practices for addressing repeating performance issues?

Managers, for a detailed overview of the I.N.S.P.I.R.E. Method, see our article How to Provide More Meaningful Performance Feedback.

And if you are ready to accelerate team performance and positive, sustained culture change, check out Team Accelerator, our manager-led program.

The post Performance Management: How to Give Feedback to a Team Member Who Isn’t Changing appeared first on Let's Grow Leaders.

“It’s not that my team’s resistant to change. In fact, it’s the exact opposite. It seems like all we’ve been doing for the past few years is dealing with change at work. And it’s not that this next change is bad, I think it’s the right thing to do. But I’m tired. My team is tired. I’m just not sure how to rally them through another major change.

What should I do? How can I help them deal with  yet another change at work?” #AskingForAFriend

We’ve been fielding this and other questions about dealing with constant change at work in nearly every leadership development program we teach.

7 Ways to Help Your Team Through Constant Change at Work

If you and your team are tired from all the changes, even the good ones, you’re in good company.

Even good change requires adjusting. Here are a few tips that can help.

1. Start with empathy and authentic conversation

If your team feels like they’re stuck in a vortex of constant change, the worst thing you can do is to show up with toxic positivity and a shiny sales pitch. Give your team time to talk about what’s on their hearts and minds and acknowledge their emotions.

You could say something like, “I know there’s been a lot of change at work this year. How are you feeling about the latest announcement?”

Or, I know you put a lot of work into getting your team collaborating. This reorganization will likely mean you’ll lose some of those players and get some new ones. How are you are feeling about that? How’s the team doing? What can I do to be most helpful to you and the team?

And it’s okay to show up authentic too (just avoid coming across as complaining or blaming).

You could say something like, “I know this is a lot of change in one year. I’m feeling the pressure of all the pivots too. Quite frankly it’s a lot. But I believe in us and I know we can figure our way through this change, just like we did the others.”

2. Create clarity

Change can be scary because it comes with so many unknowns. If resilience reserves are low, it can be particularly hard to rally toward an unclear future. When your team has faced a constant barrage of change at work, create as much clarity as possible.

If the next big change comes with a sidedish of uncertainty, be candid about what you know and what you don’t know yet.

Narrowing the timeframe can help here too. You might say, “I don’t know exactly how the next six months are going to play out. But, here’s what we need to accomplish this week.

This article offers some really practical clarity tools and techniques.

3. Be honest about the benefits (for everyone)

The notion that all that employees care about is WIIFM—what’s in it for me?—is just not true.

Of course, employees want to know what’s in it for them. Most people ALSO want to know what’s in it for you, for their coworkers, and for their customers.

I’ve seen so many managers lose credibility in an attempt to spin a “what’s in to for you” story without disclosing the real reasons behind the change.

It’s not enough to be clear about the “What?” – they’ve got to know the “Why?” behind what’s changing as well.

In the absence of information about a change at work, people often jump to the worst-case conclusion. They fill in the blanks with assumptions about why you’re not telling them the truth (e.g., “they must be getting ready to do layoff).

4. Think it through

If your team has faced a bunch of change-at-work, do your best to think through the change before implementation. Sometimes too much change at work is a symptom of under planning.

Don’t advocate for an idea or change that’s half-baked or full of flaws. If an idea is half-baked, have the managerial courage to speak up and share your concerns.

If possible, test it first with a small group, take their feedback seriously, and get it right.

It’s tough to regain credibility. “Oh yeah, I admit this idea, process, or change stank before, but now it’s better,” only leaves people wondering why some bozo made a choice to sing praises for an idea, system, or process that was full of problems.

Even if it looks great on paper, your boss is sold, and it worked well in the IT war room, field test the change first.

Yes, this takes time. Go slow to go fast.

Take the risk of making some waves to make it easy for your team. You might be slower out of the gate than others, but when you get it right and everyone owns it, you’ll sustain your results and be ready for the next change.

5. Establish easy-to-access listening posts

This is perhaps the most important part. Really listen to what your people tell you. Respond to feedback with solutions, not selling. When you fix something, communicate it back using the 5×5 method – 5 times, 5 different ways.

Ask, “How can we address this concern and still make the change serve its purpose?”

6. Leverage reluctant testimony

Share as many testimonials as you can, especially from people who were doubtful (or the most tired) at first.

Have team members share how your new idea, system, or process changed their work for the better.

Your most influential stories will come from those who were least likely to value the change: the sales guy who never bothered with this stuff before, the new rep who’s now running circles around her seasoned co-workers because she uses the new system, the supervisor who got his entire team (including the union steward) to understand why this change is so much better for customers.

7. Involve the team in key decisions

No one wants stuff done to them, or even for them. With them goes a lot further. Ask employees, “what’s working well and how do we leverage it? What enhancements do we need? Where should we head next?” All these questions go a long way. Include employees by involving them in your change efforts.

The best way to truly support your team through constant change at work is to show up empathetic and authentic, interested, and supportive.

Your Turn

What are your best practices for helping your exhausted team deal with yet another change at work?

Related Articles:

How to Change Your Mind: Without Losing Their Trust and Support

How to Lead When Your Team is Exhausted

The post Yet Another Change at Work: How to Help Your Exhausted Team appeared first on Let's Grow Leaders.

Most managers will say they want those outcomes and that they believe in an empowered team, but unintentionally prevent their teams from doing their best. Avoid these common roadblocks and you’ll release your team to be their best:

1. Soak up their time
2. Unclear definition of success
3. Be a chokepoint
4. Misguided support
5. Keep information to yourself
6. Fear new ideas
7. Lack of accountability

What is an Empowered Team?

“Empower” is one of those business lingo words that risks losing its meaning because it’s used so often – and often incorrectly. Even the core meaning of the word (to give power) is challenging. There are some times you do “give” power over…for example, when you ask someone to make a decision or offer an opportunity to try something new.

But most of the time, empowerment isn’t about you giving your team anything – it’s about helping them understand and own the power they already have. This means removing roadblocks, supporting them, giving them the information they need to make effective decisions, and helping navigate relationships with other teams.

An empowered team solves problems on their own, they think critically, the own their outcomes and work together to achieve them. They are confident and competent, while continuing to learn and grow.

One Big Reason Managers Disempower Their Team

The most common mistakes that disempower teams often result from a manager’s insecurity. Insecurity looks like a manager who feels they have to demonstrate their value by taking up everyone’s time, being the source of all knowledge, or unwillingness to consider new ideas because of the risk involved.

If any of those sound familiar, we invite you to reframe what success looks like in your role. It isn’t the work you do or how smart you are. Your success is how successfully your team performs, how they grow, and the quality of problems they solve.

Seven Common Mistakes that Roadblock an Empowered Team

As you build an empowered team, focus on removing these roadblocks and watch your team flourish.

Soak up Their Time

People need time to do the work that’s at the core of their function. Take up too much of that time with meetings or endless discussions and they end up working after hours to make up the gap (or not). Either way, it’s a problem.

At the same time, your team needs to meet. You should have one-on-ones. You should discuss and make decisions together. How do you find the right balance?

The shortest way to answer this question is to ask, “Is this meeting for the team/employee’s benefit or for mine?” Will it truly help them be more connected, productive, effective, visible, or equipped? If it’s not an effective use of their time, consider eliminating, consolidating, or automating that process.

If it is a good use of time, lead your meetings efficiently with a clear outcome for the discussion. Protect your team’s time—in today’s workplace, it’s one of the greatest acts of service you can give.

Unclear Definition of Success

When we talk with managers about empowered teams, one of the first questions they ask is “How can I empower my team when they don’t get the results we need?”

The answer to this question almost always comes back to two things: unclear definitions of success and/or a lack of training.

The challenge for most managers is that they think they’ve communicated what success looks like, but their team doesn’t have the same picture at all. It often takes far more communication up front than you think it will.

Take the time to check for understanding, schedule the finish, and describe in detail what a successful outcome looks like or will accomplish (and if you don’t know yet what success looks like, be upfront about that. Include future time and emotional energy for edits).

As your team works toward that goal, revisit those outcomes – will their current approach achieve those goals?

Be a Chokepoint

How often is your team waiting on you for information, your opinion, or a decision? If you are a consistent chokepoint, there are several solutions. You may need to give the team more information. You might need to invite them to trust their judgment (and respond with regard as they learn). It’s possible they need more training in how you would think about the subject or make a decision.

If you’re a consistent chokepoint, set aside consistent time to invest in growing your team’s skills and abilities. Get comfortable with not being a part of every decision – remember, that’s not your job. Helping your team know how to make good decisions is where the magic happens.

Misguided Support

Like the people in them, teams have natural life cycles. They usually start needing training and equipping, then need to grow their competence and confidence on the way to mastery. Give your team the support they need when they need it.

Some managers over-rely on one type of support. For example, if you’re an ace at coaching and accountability conversations, and you tend to see everything through that lens, you will miss opportunities to help a low-confidence team build their belief in their own ability. Encouragement would be more effective.

The confidence-competence model is a useful way to think about the specific support your team needs.

Keep Information to Yourself

There are usually two causes when managers don’t share information with their team. First, the manager doesn’t want to share it for fear of becoming irrelevant or losing the value their knowledge gave them. The second cause is time – you’re moving fast and hadn’t realized the team didn’t know or could really use that information.

If you worry about losing value when you share information, remember:

Success isn’t the work you do or how smart you are. Your success is your team’s performance, how they grow, and the quality of problems they solve.

To help your team get the information they need, include five-why questions (ask why five times until you get to foundational reasons) to uncover needed connections and purpose. Another useful technique is a pre-mortem – done well, you’ll uncover critical information and opportunities.

Fear of New Ideas

Another common roadblock for empowered teams is a manager’s reluctance to consider new ideas. It’s understandable: if what we did yesterday worked, why would we want to change it?

It’s a natural way to think and, unfortunately, it doesn’t serve you or your team well. The world is changing. Your competition is changing. Technology evolves.

New ideas and solutions are critical for your long-term success. You don’t have to embrace every idea, but the more you create a culture where solving problems and daily innovations are the norm, the more relevant and effective you and your team will be.

Start here to help your team think through and contribute game-changing ideas. And here’s a resource to help you share your ideas (and be a role model for your team).

Lack of Accountability

A poorly performing team member or someone’s disruptive, negative behavior are roadblocks to team performance. In highly effective, empowered teams, the team may address it internally. If not, healthy accountability and feedback conversations are another place where you help remove obstacles to a truly empowered team.

Here’s a resource for more on how to have effective performance conversations that achieve results and build relationships.

Your Turn

Leading empowered teams can be one of the most rewarding and fulfilling experiences you’ll have. But it requires reframing what success looks like in your role. Become a leader who removes roadblocks like the seven mentioned here and watch what your team will achieve.

I’d love to hear from you: what would you add to this list? What other common roadblocks can frustrate or undermine an empowered team?

Are you ready to accelerate team performance?

Increase communication, connection and trust while driving results. See our Team Accelerator Program page and sign up for the free demo to learn how.

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