Do you create the conditions for decisions to be made without you?
What does your team do when you’re not there? Do they make decisions or wait for you to come back so you can make them?
If your team makes an important decision while you’re out of the office, do you support or criticize them? Which response helps them stand taller? Which is most beneficial to the longevity of the company?
If other teams see your team make decisions while you are on vacation, doesn’t that make it easier for those other teams to use their good judgment when their leader is on vacation?
If a team waits for their leader to return before making a decision, doesn’t that slow progress? Isn’t progress what companies are all about?
When you’re not in the office, does the organization reach out directly to your team directly? Or do they wait until they can ask your permission? If they don’t reach out directly, isn’t that a reflection on you as the leader? Is your leadership helping or hindering progress? How about the professional growth of your team members?
Does your team know you want them to make decisions and use their best judgment? If not, tell them. Does the company know you want them to reach out directly to the subject matter experts on your team? If not, tell them.
If you want your company to make progress, create the causes and conditions for good decisions to be made without you.
Image credit – Conall