Just Enough, Just-in-Time Leader Intervention

Just Enough, Just-in-Time Intervention When missteps occur, don't take the problem back

• by Bruce LaRue, Ph.D. and Jim Solomon •

When missteps occur, don’t take the problem back. This will only demoralize your team, causing them to throw up their hands, give up, and be more dependent on you moving forward. This is like digging yourself further into the Founder or High Producer’s Trap. Instead, exercise what we call just enough, just-in-time intervention.

Think aloud with your team about what happened

What worked, what didn’t, what they need to do differently, and what they need from each other to overcome their challenges. Help them solve their own problems and, as much as possible, let it be their solution—not yours. As you help them break through these initial barriers, they will feel a renewed sense of vigor and optimism and will be less dependent upon you as a leader going forward. Said another way, be careful not to jump in too quickly to rescue the group. This can easily be perceived as taking over the reins, implying that you do not have confidence in your team to resolve the more difficult challenges. If you do not show confidence in your people, future attempts to launch initiatives may fail to gain critical altitude. Your team will continue to rely on you for the answers, perpetuating an unhealthy culture of dependency.

At the same time, we don’t want the initiative to languish too long and fall into a vicious cycle of blame, finger-pointing, and further disillusionment. The zone between disillusionment and breakthrough is a critical learning and developmental experience for the team. Be careful to balance the perceived need to intervene in the group with the need for the group to struggle a bit, to learn and grow through the experience of overcoming the obstacles they face on their own.

The more the team feels they have succeeded on their own, the more confident they will become to take on even greater challenges in the future. By doing this, your job as a leader will get easier, your team will become more competent and confident, your organization will become more efficient and resilient, and your customers will be more satisfied with the solutions you provide them.