Are you doing everything?
As a leader, are you immersed in the tactics, the business of your work and overlooking the development of your staff?

 

Here’s what happens when you “do it all”: you take away the opportunity for your staff to learn, grow and develop.

 

When you jump in, because it’s easier and quicker for you to do it yourself, you are stifling learning, for you and for them. You may think it’s easier and quicker for you to do it, and you may be right, but not over the longer term. If you’re always busy doing instead of developing, you’re too busy missing opportunities for you as well as for others.

• Develop your staff
• Delegate more effectively. It’s called delegating, not dumping. Teach, train, show, demonstrate and check in to encourage and see progress. You’ll learn too.
• Divide up the work and give others the chance to learn… interesting things and not just just the things you don’t want to do
• Declare an interest in people around you and back it up with some real development opportunities

 

When you hold on to everything and insist on doing it yourself,  you take away the opportunity for those around you to grow and develop.

 

Will they make mistakes that you could avoid by doing it yourself? Maybe. They may also come up with something even better. Either way, they’ll learn and so will you.

 

What one single step can you take today, this week, this month to develop the people in your team and in your  organisation?   Do the right thing and invest in developing your staff.

 

Photo credit – Dawn Ellner