I traveled to Peru one summer to help build a school. My job was to construct the baño (bathroom). The area didn’t have electricity so we did everything with hand tools. As I dove into the job, I realized that it would take us three to four times longer without electricity. It was frustrating for all of us. We knew what we needed to do but we didn’t have the right tools for the job. This same thing happens every day in business. People are given a task but don’t have the right tools to accomplish that task. One of the biggest resources or tools that your people need is your time and attention. Not to take on their issue as yours but to help them think it through their task at hand and build their confidence so they can tackle their job.
Many managers believe that they are being good to their team since they “trust” them and let them do their own thing. But this can be very debilitating for a person who could use some direction or a helping hand. Figure out what is the right amount of time that each of your people need from you and then make sure they are getting what they need to be successful. If you get this down for each one of your direct reports, they will be kicking out their “baños” in no time.
