Skills Library

Empowering Others 

What this looks like:

  • The opposite of micromanaging

  • Partners with the team to identify goals but allows employees space and time to determine the steps of how to achieve the objectives

  • Sets employees up for success by providing the tools, resources, and opportunities for them to do their job well 

  • Motivates the team by expressing gratitude for their contributions and showing the value they add to the company

  • Leads with a growth mindset and humility by owning up to mistakes and not letting one’s ego get in the way 

On-the-job practice

  • Set the employee up for success. Give the employee the tools and resources they need to fly and soar.

    • Try this: Ask yourself these questions and have these answers readily available for your employee before assigning them a project:

      • “What do I want the end product or deliverable to look like and why? Have I explicitly expressed that to the employee?”

      • “What are the guardrails or areas I don’t want the employee to waste their time on and why? Have I explicitly expressed that to the employee?”

      • “What skills does the employee have to help her succeed in this project?”

      • “What skills do this employee lack that may hinder her success in this project? How can I help remove that roadblock?”

      • “Who can I connect the employee with to help her succeed in this project?”

  • Back off and avoid micromanaging. Don’t be a “helicopter manager.” Understand that no one can replicate you, and 80% is fair. No one is exactly like you, and no one can complete a task exactly how you would do it. You can build trust by allowing your employees to show their capabilities.

    • Try this: When an employee completes a project, ask yourself, “Does this work product allow us to do what we intended for it to do?” If the answer is yes, then back off, but you can still offer suggestions on what you would do the next time around such as, “This is great work. Next time, what I would do is X because of Y.”

    • Try this: If you need to change something about the employee’s work product, provide constructive feedback on what needs to be changed, why it needs to be changed, and how that change will positively impact the outcome. If you find yourself not being able to answer the why and the impact of the change, then you’re most likely micromanaging!

    • Try this: Schedule weekly 1:1s, save it as a recurring calendar invite, and encourage employees to come prepared each week with agenda items they want to cover, i.e., project updates. These weekly 1:1’s will save you from the urge of constantly checking in. 

    • Try this: Allow the employee to drive the 1:1 conversations so they feel more in control of their work. If they don’t know where to start, you can simply ask them, “What is the most important thing you want to talk about today?”

    • Try this: When assigning a project to an employee, especially a new employee, ask, “Do you feel comfortable taking on this new assignment? If not, let me know what concerns you may have and how I can help you remove roadblocks.”

  • Encourage career development opportunities. Employees own their development, but most employees don’t know that. It’s your job as their manager to let them know you’re invested in their growth, but it’s a two-way street.

    • Try this: In your next 1:1 conversation, tell the employee, “I love the work you’re doing here and want you to know I am committed to your career growth. My job is to train you, provide you feedback, and help you succeed. At the same time, I want you to know that you own your development, so I encourage you to share with me your career goals and ideas you have to get you to where you want to be.”

    • Try this: Schedule career development plan meetings with your employees quarterly. Discuss their career goals, skills they need to improve, and actions they can take to reach their goals. Use this Career Develop Plan template by Feed Learning template to guide your conversations.

    • Try this: Give employees a quarterly or annual learning and development stipend that they can use towards conferences, purchasing books, coaching sessions, or anything to help their career growth. Don’t have a budget? Here are some free and cost-effective ways to develop your employees.

  • Ask for constructive feedback. Be prepared to welcome opinions and concerns with open arms. While it can be daunting, this is valuable information that you can use to get your team back on track or galvanize change and inspiration. 

    • Try this: Directly solicit feedback from your employees. In a 1:1 or during a team meeting, try asking, “I’m always looking to grow and improve as a manager. Can you let me know what’s working/what you like and what can be improved/what you don’t like in regards to our work relationship?”

    • Try this: Implement a platform, such as Culture Amp or Lattice, where employees can submit anonymous feedback about their experience at work, and you can gather data to measure your progress.

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