To The Rescue?

As leaders, we are responsible for encouraging, coaching and assisting the individuals on our team. We know that all people need to feel valued and appreciated, and that key elements of successful employee retention programs are meaningful recognition and feeling supported by management. But when does assisting become enabling? When does your desire to be helpful actually hinder an individual’s potential to grow?

One of the most difficult leadership challenges I’ve ever had to overcome was the concept of “rescuing”.

As a self-confessed control freak, I am aware that I like things done a certain way. I have high expectations of the individuals on my team and I push them to accomplish ambitious goals. I believe that high performing team members become that way because they have been invested in: a leader saw their potential and put time, money and energy into their professional development.

As an optimist, I tend to focus on the good in people. I see what they can do versus what they are actually doing, and, since I’m in the taking-care-of-people-business, I see whether they have the heart: the ability to be a good listener, to be empathetic and to build strong relationships. I’ve learned that whilst these are positive attributes and they are very important in my business, these character traits do not necessarily mean that an individual is going to be a high performing team member.

I’ve worked with people who had the heart, but not the ambition. Who had the heart, but not the skills. Who had the heart, but not the desire to try new things. Who had the heart, but not the common sense!

In many of these cases, they had the heart for our business and thus had built trusting relationships with the people we served and their team members, and even with other leaders in the organization. They were well-liked, they felt secure in their jobs and many of them had good tenure in the organization. It was easy to overlook their weaknesses when I could observe their compassion and “people skills” on a daily basis.

But what happens when a deadline isn’t met? When a required document goes missing from a file? When your team is en route to failure because one person isn’t getting it done? My typical response was to swoop in and offer to help when someone was struggling. But instead of coaching the individual through the task, I simply took it over, regardless of the situation, so I knew it would be done right and in a timely manner. I was a rescuer.

The initial results of rescuing seemed to make it worthwhile. The job got done my way – because I did it! My team member didn’t feel like they had failed and saved face with their colleagues. And frankly, I had my ego boosted because I felt needed; my talents and expertise were validated.

But of course there’s a BUT. What happened the next time there was a deadline to meet or a project to be completed? I ended up having to rescue someone again, this time having to apologize to my boss for my team’s lackluster performance. I was taking the blame for someone else’s failure AND I ended up doing their work for them!

This cycle continued for a while. Deep down I knew I was the one who had to change: only by resisting the urge to rescue could I ever hold my team members fully accountable for producing the results I desperately wanted them to achieve. And knew they could achieve. I wish I could tell you that I had some sort of life-changing incident that forced me to change, but I had no such experience. I had some natural turnover on my team and I vowed I would not make the same mistake with new people. I made sure they understood my expectations from the beginning and I made myself available as a coach – but not as a rescuer. I wanted them to develop critical thinking skills so they could solve problems without me and therefore felt fully engaged with the goals and direction of the team.

Since moving up the food chain in my organization I am no longer able to rescue. I have a number of departments reporting to me about whom I have little specialist knowledge or experience. I am in my position to provide oversight and leadership, not to know all the down-and-dirty details about the daily operations. I am not able to help because I don’t know how! I am thankful for my team of professionals who do possess the particular skills and expertise to lead their teams – and I hope I have instilled in them that when someone is (metaphorically) drowning, they must teach them to swim rather than just throw them a float.