What’s in Your Way?

Good leaders do everything in their power to remove obstacles that prevent team members from being the most productive they can be. Anything that stands in the way of a team member reaching their full potential and being the best they can be is ripe for discussion. 

Good leaders know that even when they are not in control of a constraint that impedes productivity, discussing the challenge can help team members cope with the frustrations they feel and helps to create a deeper bond with a leader who clearly cares about them and their productivity. 

The conversation surrounding obstacles is most productive when leaders explore three categories of constraints. First, there may be structural issues inherent to the team or organization that get in the way. For instance, not having an immediate feedback mechanism in place after a performance might limit changes a team member would want to implement. Another might be a given policy or rule that makes it harder to create cross-collaboration with a colleague outside the team. Exploring those elements foundational to the organization is a great place to start the conversation about obstacles. 

Usually, one of the biggest impediments to productivity team members face is the leader. Things leaders do or don’t do have a wide-ranging influence on how productive team members can be. Asking, “What can I do to make you even more productive?” often fosters a discussion where the leader learns how the choices they make impact others. 

Following this up with questions like, “What do I do that makes your work more difficult than it should be?” or “What could I do to make your job or work much easier?” will also open up the conversation. 

Lastly, many impediments are simply manufactured or exist mostly in the head of a team member.  Constraints can often be a direct result of something they are not doing or haven’t accepted. 

Asking, “What can you do to make yourself more productive?” is also an essential component of an effective conversation about obstacles. This question often jars a team member and gets them to honestly reflect on their role and accountability in addressing their own productivity. No conversation about exploring what is in people’s way should omit it. 

Good leaders discover the obstacles team members face and eliminate them, explore them, and reframe them. Obstacles don’t stop anyone from being productive, but addressing them can elevate performance and create a lasting bond between leaders and team members. 

Top performers never allow what they can’t do to thwart what they can do. The best leaders don’t let them forget that while doing everything to eliminate what gets in their way.