Your management chain is responsible for ensuring the success of your projects. “Trust yet verify” is the magic phrase which accounts for this type of ownership. You preferably trust your employees, but you need to verify that things are going well.

Procrastinators and blockers favor speed and immediacy over accuracy and constancy. Are generally more concerned about trying to manage short-term comfort than long-term effectiveness in solving important problems. So, to control their emotions, they procrastinate and block. https://brunopedro.com/

In all cases, you should push decisions as far down your org chart as they can go. Consider how much pain and inefficiency you’re willing to take, in exchange for people feeling ownership over their goals and mission. I’d enjoy dictating exactly how our new dashboard should operate, but it’s in our organization’s best interest to let the dashboard team make those decisions. If I dictate their work, they’ll execute on it.

When people are placed in positions slightly above what they expect, they are apt to excel.

What are you trying to do? Articulate your objectives using absolutely no jargon. How is it done today, and what are the limits of current practice? What is new in your approach, and why do you think it will be successful? Who cares? If you are successful, what difference will it make? What are the risks? How much will it cost? How long will it take? What are the mid-term and final “exams” to check for success?

Progress begets progress, which is why celebrating milestones and team culture in the form of stories and surprises that become folklore are critical. This is the stuff that keeps a team together long enough to figure it out. Without these elements of adventure, building a company or any other bold project feels like you’re on a treadmill and will be harder. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/10-thoughts-running-leading-teams-building-products-scott-belsky/?trackingId=8qfNtJKfSI%2BhaJO9%2BNLhmg%3D%3D

Lens 1: The person In what ways (if any) might the individual be contributing to the problem? (Things like their workstyle, lack of skill, motivation, clarity.) Lens 2: You In what ways (if any) might you be contributing to the problem? (Maybe you didn’t provide feedback, didn’t set clear expectations.) Lens 3: The team/ organisation In what ways (if any) might the team/organisation/systems be contributing to the problem? (Things like interdependencies, unclear processes, conflicting priorities.

Common mistakes that teams make when not thinking strategically: Focusing on the wrong priorities Focusing on the wrong outcome Not involving the right people at the right time Not seeing the bigger picture Not anticipating problems Not understanding how one project impacts another Working without thinking through why the work is being done Diving into work without thinking if it’s already been solved before Working and getting feedback only at completion (not earlier) Not converting ideas into action in efficient ways

Bad strategy ignores the power of choice and focus, trying instead to accommodate a multitude of conflicting demands and interests. Like a quarterback whose only advice to his teammates is “Let’s win,” bad strategy covers up its failure to guide by embracing the language of broad goals, ambition, vision, and values. As seen in: https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/strategy-and-corporate-finance/our-insights/the-perils-of-bad-strategy

Get your emotions under control Ask at a good time Do not ambush Be open to where you can grow Avoid it if it’s simply true

You might step into a mentoring mode when you are sharing your experiences, offering advice and knowledge. If you’re a leader in tech, you likely overindex on mentoring because it’s easy. Because you’re proud of your expertise and you want to share and help. Often, a more appropriate mode is to use a coaching mode. In coaching, you careful listen, ask questions and you help someone uncover their own approach to their own problem/challenge.

When people tell you something is wrong, they’re usually right. When they tell you how to fix it, they’re usually wrong.