Let them go
People with power have impact. They are agents of change. Empowered people are enabled and released to make a difference, usually in new arenas of influence and responsibility.
Preparing to let them go
Coach before and while letting go. My experience indicates many organizations train people, but very few coach. Coaching an employee means you progressively develop their skills and the behaviors they need to become effective change agents.
Telling isn’t coaching. For example, telling a Little League player to hit the ball isn’t coaching. Coaches break processes down into progressive steps before they release players to go to bat on their own.
The most difficult aspect of empowering others may be releasing them. Release them too soon and they fail in discouragement. Release them too late and they’re frustrated with unchallenging work.
I was 16 the first time I spoke to a large group. It was a fiasco. I had desire. However, I was thrown into the deep end of the pool with no instruction or coaching. I’m glad I had the opportunity but it was poorly handled. The result of my experience was I learned I didn’t know much.
When to let them go?
Release people after preparation but before they are completely ready. Expect them to rise to the challenge. Coach them through their first challenges.
Hindrances to letting them go
#1. No strategy for dealing with failure beyond fear
#2. Highly political environments where leaders build their reputation by using others
#3. Failure to designate support resources
#4. Failure to give create clear objectives
#5. Failure to create accountability
#4. Lack of trust
#5. Contentment with the present – not wanting others to change anything
Tip: If “they” won’t let you go
Take control by bringing your micromanager in early. Teach them to coach you.
*****
How do you prepare people for new challenges?
How do you release them to become agents of positive change?
Some great questions to start the seek Dan. Here are tips that have worked for me…
How do you prepare people for new challenges?
When you have the luxury – make the transitition gradual. Start off with a small project where success or failure is not mission critical. Help them understand what went well and what can be improved then move them to a bigger project and then a bigger one, etc. Along the way be sure to focus not just on what to do…but why it matters both procedurally and culturally.
How do you release them to become agents of positive change?
As you are preparing them, be sure to praise successes and support failures. This builds confidence and risk tolerance. At the time of “release” make sure that they know that while they are now taking the lead, you are always there for them – just as you hope they will be there for you when YOU need help.
Joan,
Thanks for your insightful comment.
Love your focus on “why it matters.” I think the “why” is so frequently left out which means work has less meaning.
I’ll jump on the praise band-wagon and say that praise should include explanations of positive impact. For example, the project leader you chose enable others to perform, great choice.
I’m always thankful when you stop in,
Dan
Proud voter for Leadership Freak. I love this blog. Keep them coming! Good luck
Hi Lizzy, thanks for the good word. It’s always great to receive encouragement. Best, Dan
The first image that came to mind was of my friends’ son, Hunter. When he was born, he weighed just over 3 lbs. When I went to visit in the NICU, I was amazed at his head – the size of a baseball. When the hospital told the parents they could bring him home – giving them about 24 hours notice after weeks in the hospital, they were shocked! Even in the best of preemie situations and the maximum of parental involvement, he had still had all of the security of being in a specialized nursery, with medical personnel a heartbeat away. Fast forward 10 years later – the kid’s a BRUISER! Whatever the challenges were of introducing a fragile, tiny newborn into their home, his parents rose to it (they really had no choice) and probably look back on that time and shake their heads at how fraught it was with anxiety.
As far as releasing people to become agents of positive change, I think as a leader it’s imperative to tap into whatever drives that individual – if they are committed (mentally AND emotionally), the transition will be a lot smoother.
I agree with much of your list, and am especially drawn to accountbility and trust.
Start yesterday…but seriously, start prepping them now. Joan wrote about the luxury of a gradual transition…well, when will you start if you don’t start now?
How? Point out as they walk along ‘with’ you on the path what great stuff they do now, that you wish you had done when you were just starting out. That can starts to shift the paradigm and reinforce the success. Write them a thank you or appreciation note for their efforts, the written word has great power and often sustains longer than verbal or email. (okay, so I am old school… 😉 )
Make sure they really see that they made the right choices. (with and without you).
In those moments of high challenge, high stress, make the connection and ask them what they think would work. Ask, if time permits, what did they weigh in making the decision, how they got to their decision. And then apply their decision (if they are not in position to do it themselves) and most importantly give them the props…either way, if the idea works or not. The obvious f/u is ‘what did you learn, how can we improve on it, etc.’
Take them away from the work environment, lunch perhaps, as then time does permit to drill down on what makes them tick. Find connecting points that match yours and find the right experience/story to apply to those points. Obviously include successes and ‘failures.’ These are the times when you can dig into the other great leadership skills, traits and competencies…yours and theirs!
As you let them go, ask them how they see you…and help them to see a different you… transition more as partner, peer or consultant rather than boss/supervisee. You then become a resource PRN. If you believe in her or him, let them know…and let them go. This IS part of your leadership work, if you are not doing it, then you are managing more than leading.
Props Dan, your LF community is voting loudly!
Dan – fine post, and congrats on the much-deserved nomination.
Does anyone else think that “coach” is approaching its peak as a buzz word? I went to a seminar last week where every speaker introduced themselves as a coach – and not one met my definition.
Thanks, Dan, for focusing on the “empowering” aspect of coaching. A good coach should have many customizable tools for empowering, but certainly should never lose sight of the goal of letting them go.
Great point MP…and the valid credentials for coach are???? Liberal to say the least.
I do have a coaching license…level E in youth soccer in Oregon, that’s about as far I would go with that one… 😉
Dan, congratulations on your nomination and good luck!
Coaching is an interesting one for me as the agenda of who’s challenge you prepare people for can be confusing sometimes. Do we coach people to be who they are wired to be (more of themselves) or do we coach people to be who we want them to be?
If a person is proactive and they choose to get themselves a coach they are also likely to have an agenda that will have them look to become more of what they are expected to be rather than who they truly are. A good coach should prepare you to be more of who you really are. That is a huge challenge as thereafter comes how you fit that into the environment you operate in. Then you are empowered to make a positive change.
It is dangerous though if we coach people to become who we want them to be so as we can use them as the agents of change.
As usual your posts are timely. They do give me a lot to think about in terms of looking honestly at how I operate.
Dan, I do a lot of work with Future Leaders in our business, prepping team members to take their first step into Frontline Management. This is especially relevant to me, as the coaching methodlogy by each coach, determines the success of the Future Leader.
I like to start with getting each leader to create their own leadership vision. What sort of leader do they want to be, what sort of leader do they want to be seen as.
Once communciated with coach/mentor, provides a solid foundation on their ongoing coaching/feedback and provides ongoing reflection.
I have reading your blog for some time now, so decided the time was ripe to wade in.
Absolutely coaching needs to be talked about and trained. Developing people on the frontline has definitely been lacking. Great that it’s being talked about here. Great days to everyone.
Hi Liz,
Thanks for leaving what appears to be your first comment on Leadership Freak.
Encouragement is a good thing! Thanks for being an encourager.
Cheers,
Dan