Tony Won

Two things not mentioned here: 1. Provide heuristics for how they should behave when they do not know exactly what to do that will generally lead them to a safe place where they can reassess. 2. Create guardrails that prevent catastrophic failures. The first one allows them more freedom and creativity in problem solving. The second should stop them from doing things that would put their jobs, your job, and the greater company at high risk.

First, you should understand why they do not feel empowered. Addressing perceptions will be important, and may or may not match reality. Second, you have to identify what processes or policies slow them down or prevent them from doing their job the best they can. Third, there may be a few methods that they are unaware of, so a meeting with leadership to impress upon them the seriousness of empowerment and what it means can have meaningful impact.

The first thing to do is understand why they have challenges with feedback. If you jump into solutions without understanding, you could make it worse. Instead, invest time in understanding their personality on their terms, and ask them directly how best to deliver feedback to them. Talented managers can help a wide variety of people because they listen, are great communicators, and put in the extra work to be heard. Start with understanding the challenges or you will not solve the right problem.

Know your team's "why" for each role, and be able to articulate it clearly, and succinctly. If the "why" is compelling, and each person understands their part in making the vision come true, motivation comes more naturally. You also have to show them how they can benefit from fulfilling the vision, and how society benefits from the work outcomes. People enjoy being rewarded, but they also enjoy making a positive impact on those around them. Then you have to negotiate with them to commit to the work, and hold them accountable to their word. Whatever commitments the company, and you as their leader, makes you must work to fulfill. People must feel that their leaders are holding up their end of the work contract to own theirs.

Volunteer in your local community. Sign up as the leader of a project or, better yet, propose an idea yourself. Doing so will force you to develop these skills: - planning - project management - scheduling - communication - stakeholder management - budgeting - delegation For leadership, nothing replaces the value of practice. This is why experience is critical for leadership roles. Additionally, leading volunteers means that you do not get to select them. You work with what you have, which will force you to be resourceful. On the flip side, you will not have to worry as much about motivation because they're volunteering. Solicit feedback, give permission for them to be honest (insist on it), and take notes. You'll learn a lot.

SMART is best used as an easy method for starting work conversations, but it can unintentionally decrease creativity and innovation if you’re not careful. For example, the definition of achievable can be very different from person to person. Some will use it to aim at the status quo, others at something literally impossible. Also, creating new product categories can almost never come from SMART goals. There are categories that don’t fit well. I would use it for specific contexts where most variables are known, and I would alter it based on the context of the situation. It’s a solid conversation starter, but be careful of the unintended consequences when using. It is best used loosely as a tool to sharpen someone’s thinking.