You Named the Gap. Who Do You Put On It?
You named the gap. Now comes the part many leaders get wrong: who do you put on it?
The usual answer is the most senior person, the loudest voice or whoever has an open calendar. Sometimes that works. More often it hands the problem to the person who wants credit instead of the person who will close it.
Here is a better definition to work from. A Winner is not someone who wins. A Winner is the right person, chosen for character and fit and aligned to the mission, who keeps getting better and lifts everyone in range.
Look for three signs.
First, they are already closing small gaps. Nobody assigned it. They fix the handoff, answer the question or make the process easier for the next person.
Second, people go to them. Ask your team who they turn to when they are stuck. The same names tend to repeat.
Third, they share the credit. Winners ripple out. They teach, mentor and pass on what they know, and they do not need the spotlight the way the also-rans do.
Then do two things.
Ask the person what they would love to work on. Winners do their best work when the job matches what they enjoy, so let them do what they love.
And ask your cohort where you need these characteristics most. Put your Winners there first.
One caution. Do not name a Winner and then pile on every problem. Give them the one gap you named, the authority to close it and your support.
If you lead a team and want a field-tested look at how strong teams get built, Crazy Smart! collects 20 case studies on exactly that. [Crazy Smart! link]
The gap closes when the right person owns it.
Just read. Try. Fail and get better.
#Leadership #Feedback #CommunicateLikeAHumanBeing
Be First to Comment