Great Leaders Don't Answer Questions

Want to speed the growth of your Business? Don't answer your employee's questions ... here's exactly what I mean.

Written Nov 06, 2008, read 498 times since then.

Let's face it ... Business is a Team Sport ... with the Entrepreneur as the Team Leader.

Consistently growing your Team's capabilities is a high priority. Over time, a growing Team will become more productive and efficient ... accelerating the growth of your business and producing clear changes in your bottom line.

As the Leader you also get asked a LOT of questions.

One sure way to slow the growth of your business is to develop the habit of answering them.

Clients tell us that their Teams sometimes drive them crazy by asking for decisions on even minor things. There is only one way they learned to do that - YOU TRAINED THEM TO. You trained them by answering their questions in the first place.

And that habit of answering questions and making all the decisions will slow the growth of your people and the growth of your business.

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Here's are some examples:
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"Boss, Chuck and I just noticed the last bunch of widgets came off the line without flanges - there's 200 in the box already - what should we do?"

"I just found out the Havarti Cheese we need for today's sandwich special didn't get ordered ... what should we do?"

"We posted that article on EZineArticles.com last week and it didn't get any hits at all ... what should we do?"

Now you probably have a real good idea what you would like them to do
AND
What happens if you tell them?
What happens if you "Fix" the "Problem"?

You feel great - a real problem solver... take charge kinda person... a decision maker ... perhaps even a bit of a HERO.

AND at the same time ...
- They learn to come to You for all problems in the future
- They are taught Not to think for themselves
- They take actions based on only one person's ideas - Yours
- The possibility for professional growth and Team problem solving is eliminated
- If your solution does NOT work, you get blamed and morale suffers
- In many larger business, over time the employees become "Sheep", just waiting passively to be told what to do

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What else could you do? Try out this scenario.
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"O.K. let's have a Team Meeting ASAP"
- Ask the whole team for ideas on how to respond to the critical issue
- Listen to everyone's ideas without evaluating or interrupting and, if you give your input at all, make sure to GIVE YOUR THOUGHTS LAST
- Help the TEAM decide the most appropriate response for the TEAM to take

** WHAT HAS HAPPENED? **

- The Team has learned to solve its own problem
- The entire Team's talents and experience were applied to the challenge
- Since the Team participated in creating the action plan, they are automatically bought in to putting it in place
- The whole Team has grown
- You didn't have to work so hard now and you will be able to count on the Team's expanding problem solving capabilities in the future!!

You just accelerated the growth and profitability of your company by NOT answering that question.

NOW THAT'S LEADERSHIP !!!

Challenge: For the next month, keep a tally of the number of questions you DIDN'T answer and problems you DIDN'T solve. It just might be a tally of how much your Team grew in that same time frame.

Grow Your Business and Have More Fun... Dike Drummond MD CPC - Recovering Family Physician - Serial Entrepreneur - Business Acceleration Coaching ... 360-262-4971 ... www.leadershipstylesblog.com

Learn more about the author, Dike Drummond MD CPC.

Comment on this article

Posted by Sylvia Taylor, Seattle, Washington | Nov 06, 2008

Fantastic article Dike! Well said. This is exactly the direction I have to take a lot of my clients. The reason problems are mounting and they are overwhelmed is because they have taken on solving all of the problems/challenges themselves instead of empowering their teams to do so. This article was a great reminder for small biz owners as well (being THE leaders in their biz) that asking for help from their support Team (its one of the first things I help my cleints set-up) is not being weak - its being smart!

Thanks again for posting this! -Sylvia www.theintentionalway.com
Posted by Vicki Kriner, Portland, Oregon | Nov 06, 2008

You make a great point, and do it succinctly!

Entrepreneurs can easily get sucked into thinking that we are the only ones who can truly take care of all the challenges in our business.

This was a good reminder of how delegating authority and decision making power to employees will help an organization grow.

Vicki www.ScarletGirl.com
Posted by Mary E. Rossow, Los Altos, California | Nov 06, 2008

Thanks for the reminder, Dike. This is exactly how my mother raised me...... always made me answer my own question, solve my own problems, and never 'handed anything to me on a silver platter'. Twenty-three years into my own business, I never present myself as an expert. All of my organizing & coaching clients are invited and encouraged to answer their own questions - after all, they are the long-term architects/experts of their own lives.... I'm there only to briefly model the process. As for my interns, mentees, and Organizing Assistants....... they know to be thinking about SOLUTIONS before they ever open their mouth with a PROBLEM!!!

Warm Socks, Mary E. Rossow www.RossowResources.com
Posted by Kate Phillips, Carnation/Seattle, Washington | Nov 08, 2008

Hi Dike! Great article. I used to say that to realtors (I'm a recovering realtor as you are physician), that our CLIENTS treat us how we teach them to treat us. Perhaps calling us at all hours and not accepting that we might take a day off now and then.

Good to see you on here. We met at Warrior Camp (now all the Bizniks will wonder what the heck we're into) and again at FIC.

Coaching for Financial Transformation
Posted by Lisa Bradley, West Seattle, Washington | Nov 08, 2008

Great article, Dike! It's amazing what happens to a team or an individual when they're valued and empowered. Thanks for putting such great tips out for people to use. I think you explained very well the difference between a "boss" and a "leader". Great article.

Thanks!

The Adversity Doctor, turning adversity into adventure!
Posted by Don Johnston, Clinton, Washington | Nov 11, 2008

Hi Dike,

Wonderful article and great insight! Many of the managers we work with will, when pushed, admit that they feel good when they can be the hero with all the answers, and at the same time, complain about how the team members won't/don't take responsibility for solving their own problems. To build on what you have said Lisa, Ron Heifetz in his book Leadership without Easy Answers talks about it as the difference between Authority (boss behaviors) and Leadership and the need to behave out of both places when necessary. Great conversation on my favorite supject!

www.parallaxconsulting.com
Posted by Jack Fecker, Seattle, Washington | Nov 13, 2008

I had to learn this the hard way ( thank God for Biznik) in my first business with a large number of employees. I was averaging 100 hours a week or more. 30 years later in another business I was working 3 to 4 hours a week. It is attainable. When I opened that business I left for Tahiti with no way to reach me after 3 weeks. When I came back everything was running just fine. In those 30 years I also learned how to hire. Check out my article on hiring your first employee. Great wisdom Dike.

Jack Fecker
Posted by Brent Haeseker, Ocala, Florida | Nov 13, 2008

Great article Dike. Making others their own heroes helps to keep them from being villains.
Posted by Dike Drummond MD CPC, Mount Vernon, Washington | Nov 13, 2008

Thanks for the feedback everyone.

Sometimes the best way to respond to a question is with a question of your own.

Dike

Dike Drummond MD - Leadership for Success
Posted by Pamela Doyle, Renton, Washington | Nov 15, 2008

This is for all the parents out there too! While coaching family relationships often I see challenges that have been created from always having the solution for your child and not allowing them to blossom.