A 5-point plan for empowering your employees

Oftentimes employees go to their managers looking for help, but instead of getting that help the manager does the work for them. Sometimes it seems like the more efficient way to get it done, because you know it will be done right (or at least the way you want).

It’s counterintuitive, but taking more time upfront to guide, teach, coach—and even to correct—will save time in the long run. It’s that “teach a person to fish” adage. I like to use the following steps to help team members become more independent and empowered — and help me get back to the work that I should be doing.

Assess the capability.

You want to always set them up for success, which means making sure that they have the right coaching and access to necessary resources.

Communicate what success looks like.

Be crystal clear on all of the expectations — make sure they know what success looks like.

Ensure there’s a learning curve, and show guidance.

Ensure that they are comfortable coming to you when issues arise. You are still accountable for the results. It’s easier to fix problems when you hear about them early.

Establish checkpoints to monitor progress.

Hold people accountable to expectations and do this frequently. This prevents you from receiving nasty surprises at the end.

Celebrate success.

Applaud accomplishments. Let the team have the roles of the heroes.

Your company will be in a better place once you master this skill. There will always be work to be done that you can’t get done. Focus on what’s most important. Hiring more people and enabling them to do more work will free you to do what matters and enable you to scale.