Give someone the “space” to think. I don’t mean just the physical space (which is very important) but also the time, quiet and the permission to think. And watch your company grow.
This is a relatively easy thing to do. As a leader you ask (rather than tell) some simple questions that are designed to open and expand someone else’s thinking power. They are doing the work, not you – and that’s what they were hired to do. It takes you setting aside your ego – the need to be the “expert,” to always be right and to be in control. It takes trusting that you really did hire the best of the best.
By asking simple, coach-oriented questions, you are creating the psychological space for someone else to think, create and to run with their ideas.
Here’s how this conversation could flow – very simple but very empowering. This is you as the leader speaking. Watch who’s doing all the work . . . not you, but the person you hire. You just got out of the way.
- “What have you already been thinking about?”
- “What would you recommend?”
- “What could get in the way?”
- “What resources do you need to move forward?”
- “How can I help you move forward on this?”