If you’re wondering how to stop solving your team’s problems, the answer might be simpler than you think.
When someone in your team comes to you with an issue, is your first instinct to solve their problem and give them the answer?
If so, you’re not alone. Many managers step in out of habit – to be helpful, to save time, or because they’re used to having the answers. But if you want to build a more independent and capable team, it’s time to step back.
An added bonus? You’ll get valuable time back to focus on your own priorities – and who doesn’t want more time!
That means letting go of the idea that good leadership is about stepping in. Instead, it’s about stepping back. You can read about this and more in an article I wrote for Brainz Magazine How to be a brilliant boss.
Why you should stop solving your team’s problems for them
Of course, if you want to be the go-to person for every issue, decision and dilemma, if it gives you a sense of being in control or being needed, then keep doing what you’re doing. But let’s be honest: that’s not sustainable, and it’s not developing your team.
If you genuinely want the people you manage to become confident, capable and independent, then you need to give them the space to think, explore, make mistakes and learn.
Because let’s face it:
Stop being the fixer
Next time someone says they’ve got a problem, or they don’t know what to do, try something different.
Ask better questions
Stephen Covey captured this idea well in The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, where Habit 5 is “Seek first to understand, then to be understood.” It’s a reminder that good leadership starts with listening and asking, not telling.
It’s a simple principle, but putting it into practice takes intention. Next time someone brings you a problem, step back and shift the responsibility to your team. Try this instead:
Do
Don’t
- Listen. Give them your attention for those few minutes.
- Use open questions to help them work out their next step, such as:
“What do you want to happen?”
“What have you tried so far?”
“What haven’t you tried yet?”
“What’s one thing you could do to move forward?”
- Interrupt them with your idea
- Don’t tell them what to do
- Don’t tell them what you did
- Don’t use closed questions to suggest what they should do such as:
- “What I would do is…”
- “Have you tried?”
- “What about asking so and so?”
- “Leave it with me, I’ll sort it”
Choosing to ask questions instead of solving the problem is a simple shift, but it changes how people learn, lead and grow.
To help you get started, I’ve put together a simple guide with a set of open, powerful questions you can use in everyday work conversations – from performance reviews to team check-ins. It’s free and you can download it below and put your new skills into practice straight away.
