Your team member is torn between autonomy and guidance. How can you help them find the right balance?

Define specific, measurable goals and expectations with your team member. Clearly outline what success looks like and the milestones to be achieved.

Helping a team member find the right balance between autonomy and guidance involves understanding their individual needs, providing appropriate support, and fostering an environment where they can thrive. Conduct One-on-One Discussions: Explore Concerns: Have a candid conversation with the team member to understand their specific concerns and preferences regarding autonomy and guidance. Identify Goals: Discuss their personal and professional goals to see how autonomy and guidance can help them achieve these objectives.

Have open discussions with the team member to understand their preferences, career goals, and where they feel confident or uncertain. Evaluate their current skill level and experience to determine areas where they might need more guidance.

Start by understanding your team member’s current skills, experience, and confidence levels. Have an open conversation to identify where they feel they need more support and where they are comfortable taking the lead. For example, a new team member might need more guidance initially, while a seasoned employee might crave more autonomy.

To help a team member balance autonomy and guidance, set clear expectations. Discuss their responsibilities and the extent of their autonomy within those boundaries. Ensure they understand the objectives and the performance standards.

Schedule regular check-ins to review progress and address any challenges. These meetings provide an opportunity for ongoing feedback, support, and adjustment of goals as needed.

1. **Understand Their Preferences**: Have a conversation to understand their preferences and comfort level with autonomy. 2. **Assess Their Skills and Experience**: Consider their current skills and experience. 3. **Set Clear Goals and Expectations**: Clearly define the goals and expectations for their tasks. 4. **Offer a Framework for Independence**: Provide a structure within which they can operate autonomously. 5. **Encourage Open Communication**: Create an environment where they feel comfortable seeking help or asking questions when needed. 6. **Provide Feedback and Adjust**: Offer constructive feedback on their performance and adjust the level of guidance based on their progress and feedback.

Setting clear expectations is crucial for team performance and individual growth. Clear expectations help team members understand their roles, responsibilities, and the standards they need to meet. Role Clarity: Ensure each team member has a detailed job description that outlines their key responsibilities and duties. Clearly assign tasks and projects, specifying who is responsible for what. Align with Organizational Goals: Explain how individual roles contribute to the organization’s overall goals and vision. This helps team members understand the importance of their work. Set Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound goals for individuals and the team. Ensure these goals are clear and attainable.

Clearly outline their roles, responsibilities, and expected outcomes to provide a framework within which they can operate autonomously. Set Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound goals that give them direction while allowing room for independent action.

Equip your team member with the necessary tools and resources to succeed. This could include training programs, access to software, or even mentorship opportunities. For example, if they are working on a new software, ensure they have access to tutorials and a mentor who can guide them through initial hurdles.

Offer training, resources, and learning opportunities to build their skills and confidence. Ensure they have access to necessary information and tools to perform their tasks effectively.

This is where guidance and trust is needed. One of my mentors used to say that you get 51% of the say because you get 100% of the accountability. Share that and let them know that you want them to have initiative and work to develop their own approach, but acknowledge that you understand that things won't always work out. Let them know they won't be penalized in those case and that while you want them to take the lead on their area, you are available to provide feedback and guidance as necessary. But make clear to them that you want them to bring you recommendations, not suggestions. You want them to have a point of view and have conviction about it.

Encourage them to make decisions within their scope of work. Start with smaller decisions and gradually increase the complexity as they grow more comfortable. Foster an environment where calculated risks are accepted and mistakes are seen as learning opportunities. Recognize that the level of autonomy might need to be adjusted over time based on their development. Be flexible and willing to increase or decrease guidance as needed. Allow varying levels of autonomy depending on the project or task complexity. More guidance might be needed for new or complex tasks, while routine tasks can be handled independently.

Empower and Encourage Foster Confidence: Positive Reinforcement: Provide positive reinforcement and recognition for successfully handling tasks autonomously. This builds confidence and encourages further independent work. Skill Development: Offer opportunities for skill development and training to enhance their competence and confidence in handling tasks independently. Promote Ownership: Assign Ownership: Assign specific projects or tasks where they can take full ownership. This helps in developing a sense of responsibility and accountability. Encourage Initiative: Encourage them to propose ideas, suggest improvements, and take initiative in their work.

Foster a sense of ownership by involving them in decision-making processes. Encourage them to take initiative and make decisions within their scope. This not only boosts their confidence but also helps them develop problem-solving skills. You might say, “I trust your judgment on this. Go ahead and make the call, and let’s review the outcomes together.”

Have regular check-in meetings to discuss progress, challenges, and any support they might need. This helps in adjusting the level of guidance as required. Provide constructive feedback and encourage them to share their feedback on the support they are receiving.

Monitor and Adjust Track Progress and Feedback: Performance Metrics: Use performance metrics to track their progress and identify areas where they might need more guidance or can handle more autonomy. Solicit Feedback: Regularly solicit feedback from the team member to understand how they are coping with the balance and make adjustments as necessary. Adapt Approach: Flexible Strategy: Be flexible and willing to adapt your approach based on their evolving needs and feedback. What works today might need adjustment in the future as they grow and develop. Continuous Improvement: Foster a culture of continuous improvement where both you and the team member are always looking for ways to optimize the balance between autonomy and guidance.

Keep track of their progress through regular check-ins and feedback sessions. This helps in identifying any areas where they might be struggling and need more guidance. For example, you could have bi-weekly meetings to discuss their progress and any challenges they are facing.

Be flexible and ready to adjust your approach based on their progress and feedback. If they are excelling with autonomy, you might gradually reduce the level of guidance. Conversely, if they are struggling, you might need to provide more support. For instance, if a team member is consistently meeting their goals independently, you might start involving them in more strategic decisions.

Ese tránsito entre la necesidad de orientación y la autonomía es un proceso normal de todo aprendizaje La teoría de la delegación así lo explica distinguiendo 4 estadios: 1) Yo hago tú miras 2) Yo hago tú haces 3) Tú haces yo miro 4) Tú haces Esa persona se encontraría entre el tres y el cuatro. Ya ha sido capaz de aprender pero todavía siente algunas inseguridades. Ahora es momento de reconocimiento. Felicitarle por el proceso de aprendizaje y darle la libertad para poder equivocarse. Enseguida llegará la fase 4

To handle some of the key features should be 1. We should encourage COULD mindset rather than SHOULD mind set 2. Be in the PRESENT 3. Avoid reacting immediately to the event 4. Being mindfulness and practicing meditation regularly to maintain mind peace #Meditation #Mindfulness #Leader #Leadership #Emotions

Communication: Maintain open lines of communication. Encourage them to ask questions and share their thoughts freely. Recognition: Acknowledge their efforts and successes. This can be a great motivator and reinforces positive behavior. Balance: Remember that the balance between autonomy and guidance is not static. It may change over time as the team member grows and the project evolves.