AUTHORITY & EMPOWERMENT

EMPOWER DECISION MAKING

• Suggest that colleagues come to you with recommended decisions for any issues they encounter. • Have your direct report verbalize the pros and cons of their recommended approach to solve issues • Guide your direct report to the solutions vs. handing them the answers. • Create clear parameters for which situations your team has the authority to make decisions.

BE CONSISTENT

• When leaders make inconsistent decisions it is confusing to their team. • Think through decisions that impact your team and determine if you are being consistent with past practice or if you are creating new precedent. • If you are creating new precedent, then be prepared to tell your team the reason why the situation deserves a different approach. This will help your team think through decisions in the future.

COMBAT FEAR

• Based on past experiences employees may be reluctant to make a decision for fear of making mistakes. • Allow your team to make mistakes so they can learn from them. • For any mistakes made, ask your direct report to express what they learned, and how the behavior or thought process will change in the future. • After discussing the mistake, tell the direct report you have confidence in their abilities moving forward.

BE A ROLE MODEL

• Remember that you represent what a successful person must to do be promoted to your team. • Be mindful of how you are presenting yourself with both verbal and non-verbal behaviors. • Your team is learning how to lead by watching WHAT you do and HOW you do it. • Check in with your team see if there are things that you are not doing which would be helpful.

FOSTER OPEN DIALOGUE

• Establish an open-door policy and ensure that you follow through on that commitment. If a team member comes to you for help, try to make yourself available either immediately or soon thereafter. • Always listen to your employees and their concerns, even in times when you disagree. • Be sure to actively listen and not think about what you are going to say next in the conversation.