Is it them or is it you?

In my coaching sessions with executives there are a few themes that show up repeatedly. One of them is the problem of their teams not taking ownership of projects. Many executives are genuinely puzzled by this. They have all this brain power around and wonder why they are not performing as expected. What is wrong with them?

A better question to ask is: What am I doing that I can do differently to engage my team and have better results?

In my experience there are several possible causes and solutions to this problem:

• Expectations. If your people often find that their efforts are not acceptable to you, they will get the message. They know they can not please you, so, why even try?
• Lack of clarity. Many leaders asume their team have as much information as they do. This is rarely the case. Your team needs to have enough information about what needs to be done if they are going to be able to step to the plate. They also need to be aware of your expectations.
• Involvement. If you bring all the ideas, all the solutions to the problems, and all the plans already made, people will not take ownership. The more you involve them in problem solving, distribution of work, and the development of deliverable plans, the more they will own the project.
• Follow up. You need to be consistent in asking for accountability. If your people know you will follow up and ask for reports, they take things more seriously. They will also take pride in showing you what they have accomplished.
• Implementation. Once a team brings a solution, or finishes a project, their suggested action needs to be analyzed and implemented. There will be times when the best action will be no implementation. Either way, your people need to know what happened to their proposals or they will not be motivated to give their best next time.
• Recognition. If you only interact with your people to criticize and punish for mistakes, you will not have an engaged group. Everybody likes to be acknowledged for work well done. Research shows that people tend to be more loyal, perform better, and go the second mile if you notice what they do right and thank them.

Remember. . .

Before you point fingers, take inventory of how your leadership is facilitating or hindering engagement. Usually, if you take the right approach, you will have a much more engaged and positive workforce.

Share your thoughts

In your experience, what has helped your people to be more engaged? Leave your answers in the Comments area below, and let’s get a conversation going.

Photo by: left-hand