“What kind of questions?” asked Ted.
“Look, in your position, as Manager, you often don’t have the technical details necessary to make a decision. As a Manager, that’s not your job. Your job is to bring value to the thinking and work of your team.” I waited for Ted to catch up.
“By asking questions?”
“Most Managers think their team will see them weak if they have difficulty making a decision, even if the Manager doesn’t have the technical details. So, sometimes Managers make a decision because they think it’s their job.
“If you have two engineers, each with a different method of solving a problem, you may not know which method is technically the best way.”
“So, how do you make the decision?”
“You don’t bring value by making a decision and telling them what to do. You bring value by asking questions.
- What were the top three criteria on which you based your recommendation?
- What impact will your recommendation hav on the time frame of the project?
- What two things could go wrong with your recommendation?
“Your job, as Manager, is not telling people what to do. Your job is to bring value to their thinking and their work.” -TF
I think it is important for a manager to clearly understand each individuals role in the project. If the manager is unsure….ask questions, engineers are the technical experts and should be available to provide technical insight. Again, ask questions the process of elimination tends to lead one down the most productive path. If a specific technical resource is needed, the manager should be able to look at the project from a “100 feet” and connect the dots.
Mark Salinas,
Viscom Technology Group Inc., MN
In situations where the manager dictates, the team can feel that their input has no value, thus crippling their ability to make decisions in the future. Helping the engineers to work through the problem logically would allow them to feel confident with their work.
Great Post. This is one of the true keys to becoming an exceptional manager and leader. Growing a team of smart leaders who can make decisions on their own is the only way to scale your leadership beyond running a small team. Asking for input does not abdicate your authority to make the final decision…and wouldn’t you rather have full knowledge when making the final call?
Mike
BIG Ideas to BIg Results