Happy Friday!

I was thinking about some conversations I've had with leaders over the years where they've asked how to get their folks to try something new or look beyond their roles. This is a question with a lot of nuance in the answer, so let me bring up a few of the things at play.

A History of Admonishment

Almost everyone has a career full of memories where they felt like they were punished for doing more than the minimum. I know it sounds insane to read it, but you have those memories too. Trying to help someone that came with the correction that you shold focus on your work or that it isn't your responsibility. Askin questions outside of what your role would normally take responsibility for and told it isn't your problem and to focus on your domain. Attempting to suggest an alternative course and being told that you need to be a team player and go with what was decided.

We all have experiences like this, and it shapes how we behave today. In order to ask people to operate outside of their minimum, they have to feel safe to do so, and one major challenge leader's face is creating an environment where it is safe for folks to take that risk.

Crossing the Invisible Line

Related to the point above, many folks are simply unsure of what they can and cannot impact. This uncertainty creates a sense of doubling down on the few things that are certain and backing away from the unknowns.

Let me give a simple example: A new project is starting and there is a kickoff meeting. During that meeting folks are told the direction, the challenge, and that they're empowered to get the job done. During that conversation someone speaks up and suggests a very different scope to accomplish the goal but is told that the scope has been decided. Someone else suggests a new set of tools before getting told the architects have signed off on the approach. A lead says they need more staff and is told there isn't budget.

While all of these things are common the folks in the room are left wondering, "Empowered to do what?" For everything they wished to make an impact on, there was an invisible line where their ability to make a difference ends. The only way they can find out is to cross it and wait hear they need to go back.

Connecting the Dot

I find this one personally amusing, but a really common issue that comes up with groups is the amount of information filtering and censorship. We want folks to be more than their role but at the same time restrict information flow because they're details that they don't need or shouldn't know or will distract them.

If I hired the leadership and folks who like this to a kitchen but never showed them a menu, I suspect they'd struggle and wind up realizing the only way to survive is to do the small task in front of them and hope its enough.

Your folks need more information and context to be more than folks who focus on tasks. Yes, that means a lot more conversations and meetings. It means a lot more hard questions about the decisions that folks have made, and it means that working through it to find what you and your team can do when so much is out of your hands.

I'm curious though, have you seen any of these things and have you found that working on them has changed the attitude and participation of your teams?

Sincerely,

Ryan