Empowerment comes from knowing how to think.

"I want my team to be more accountable."

"I wish my team took initiative more often."

"It would be great if my team thought more 'out of the box.'"

Teach your team HOW to think, instead of WHAT to think.

Teams follow your lead, so if you're looking for improvements in them... why not start looking at how you're leading?

Start by turning the statements into questions.

❔ How can I make my team more accountable?

💡 Give them a stake in solving problems. Encourage them to design AND build solutions. People tend to feel more ownership when they have a hand in designing what's being built. For example:

-- Conduct brainstorming sessions around solving a specific problem.

-- Gamify problem solving ( such as rewards for the most creative solution to a sticky problem.)

 

❔ What am I doing to keep my team from taking initiative?

💡 Be clear about the results you are looking for, and reward your team for identifying ways to achieve them. People who know what outcomes are expected, and have the room to be creative about how to achieve them are more often than not, more willing to take initiative to achieve those results. You might try:

-- Setting goals around outcomes rather than output (i.e. our goal this month is XX new users, or a YY reduction in helpdesk calls)

-- Encourage proposed solution benefits to be articulated in an expected lift to business results.

 

❔ How can I help my team think more "outside of the box?"

💡 Give you team time, tools and encouragement to be able to think outside of the box. When people feel safe and rewarded to be creative and innovative, they will! Try this:

-- Set quarterly goals around learning new skills in the team, and rewared the teams who both achieve results AND grow new skills.

-- Sponsor "Hackathons" or "Innovation Challenges" regularly. These types of events show that you put a premium on creativity and innovation, and encourage teams to take small risks.

-- Reward experiment results regardless of success or failure. There is learning regardless of how experiments turn out. Be sure to ask about how learnings will be applied.

 

Changing team behaviors starts with changing your behavior. What's stopping you from making a small change today, and then seeing how your team responds? Take a chance and teach your teams to think!

 

We all win together.