10 Goals and Practices for Leading Teams: No 8. Don’t delegate, or empower - Coach

Introduction

Delegation is giving responsibility you have to someone. Empowerment is giving power to someone who didn't otherwise have it.

On the face of things, this seems great. But both terms hold deep assumptions about the role of leadership in teams which instantly limits the teams potential. They presume the leader has the right responsibility to delegate, and the only power to give away.

It reinforces the assumption that team members don’t have innate power in the first place nor that they can generate their own work in response to organisational needs. It leaves “Leaders” (AKA line managers) as the linchpin to team working - reducing the collective power of the team and inadvertently keeping the line manager stressed.

Coaching, by contrast, is a way for leaders to be catalytic with the team, to work through problems, explore opportunities, address obstacles and realise everyones’ innate power and responsibilities to do the things that need to be done.

The Goal

To reposition yourself with the team as a coach. Note, this is not an “expert” coach, who provides the answers!

The Practice

Here are four practices that can make all the difference. But know that these are not at all easy!

1. Notice yourself first - what are your agendas, expectations, priorities, pressures? Practice letting go of these thoughts as they will bias the conversation in favour of you.
2. Listen to others - what are they saying? What’s the meaning? Practise “listening” to their emotions, and to your own reactions, and noticing what is not yet being said.
3. Ask questions - questions that help the other person explore the topic - not just explain their topic. Practise open questions that follow the other person’s line of thinking.
4. Summarise - Summarising helps capture the thoughts of the other person. Practise summarising or paraphrasing without taking notes. Simply say back what you heard they say - but in fewer words.

Notice that none of these practices require you to share your expectations, knowledge, skills, priorities or stresses with the other person. Through Coaching, you can enable a team culture where everyone realises their full power and provides that through mutual responsibility. Power and responsibilities are then realised, not exchanged.

Links to the other nine Goals and Practices for Leading Teams:

No 1. Be clearer on the team's purpose

No 2. Appreciate team dynamics - and use them to team better

No 3. Let's ditch SMART objectives and replace them with OKRs

No 4. Empathise with our stakeholders - more, with skill

No 5. Don't motivate your team - create the conditions for them to motivate themselves

No 6. Make performance a team game

No 7. Agree on how to disagree

No 8. Don't delegate, or empower - coach

No 9. Let the team engage with uncertainty

No 10. Learn to self-manage - together