Why won’t my team take responsibility?

Are you feeling overwhelmed and frustrated with a team that never seems to "step up" or constantly comes to you with every minor question? Don't worry, you're not alone. Many leaders face similar challenges, but the good news is that there are ways to adapt your leadership style to foster growth and responsibility within your team. In this article, we'll discuss how you can encourage your team to take ownership and learn from their mistakes.

Picture yourself having this conversation with a coach:

1. You: How can I delegate more when my team doesn't seem to want to take responsibility?
2. Coach: What happens when they do take responsibility?
3. You: It takes up a lot of my time because they often make mistakes and I have to watch them closely.
4. Coach: What happens when they make a mistake?
5. You: I take the work back and do it myself; it's quicker that way.
6. Coach: What happens when people aren't allowed to make mistakes?

This conversation often leads to reframing the initial question to:

How can I adapt my leadership style to allow my team to make mistakes while ensuring the business isn't put at risk?

On paper, the answer is simple; in practice, it’s not. Leaders need to learn to step back and give their team room to grow. However, three common obstacles often prevent leaders from doing so:

1. Competence: Leaders may worry that if they delegate important tasks, their team members won't be able to complete them to the same standard. This concern often stems from a belief that the leader's way of doing things is the only "right" way. To overcome this mindset, it's important to acknowledge that there may be multiple ways to achieve the desired outcome. Encourage your team members to bring their unique perspectives and problem-solving skills to the table. This approach can lead to innovation, increased efficiency, and a more collaborative work environment.
2. To help develop your team's competence, invest in training and coaching and provide opportunities for them to learn and grow. This investment will pay off in the long run, as your team becomes more capable and confident in handling a wider range of tasks and responsibilities.
3. Fear of Failure: Fear of failure can lead to micromanagement, which stifles a team's creativity and growth. To overcome this fear, recognise that making mistakes is a natural part of the learning process. Encourage a culture of learning from failure and provide constructive feedback to help your team members improve.
4. Begin by delegating smaller, low-risk tasks and gradually work your way up to more significant responsibilities. This approach allows your team members to build their confidence and competence while minimising the potential impact on your business. Remember to be patient and supportive as they learn and grow. Your trust and encouragement can go a long way in helping your team members take on new challenges.
5. Fear of Increased Workload: When team members make mistakes, it's easy for leaders to assume the responsibility of fixing the problem themselves. However, this approach can lead to an unhealthy cycle where team members become reliant on the leader to solve issues.
6. Instead, empower your team members by guiding them through the process of addressing their mistakes. Help them analyse what went wrong and identify ways to prevent similar errors in the future. This approach not only teaches your team valuable problem-solving skills but also demonstrates that you trust them to take ownership of their work.

By addressing these obstacles and fostering an environment that supports growth, learning, and shared responsibility, you'll create a more resilient and adaptable team. Ultimately, this approach will help you become a more effective leader and contribute to your organisation's long-term success.

To determine if your leadership style might be the issue, consider whether your team members were once bright, capable, and motivated when you hired them. Have they changed? Is it just a few team members, or is the whole team avoiding responsibility? Reflecting on these questions can help you identify if your leadership style needs adjusting.

Changing leadership habits can be challenging and require consistent effort. If you're looking for support to make these changes, consider booking a free introductory session to discuss how we can help you on your journey to becoming a more effective and adaptable leader.