Do you have an employee who is really good at what they do? Have you thought about giving them more responsibility? Or have you ever given an employee more responsibility and they’ve dropped the ball?
It’s not that they’re incompetent, it’s that they’re not prepared. It’s easy to think that an employee can step into more responsibility because they’re performing well at their current role, but you can’t expect them to shine when they haven’t been given the right tools. Maybe you think they’ve been involved in the work for so long that it will be easy for them to assume this new responsibility.
No matter how close someone is to an experience, no one knows how well they’ll perform until they’re in the position. Why not set them up for success from the start? Documenting your operations will help everyone succeed, whether they’re a new employee or a longtime employee stepping into a new role.
Don’t blame someone for dropping the ball if they haven’t trained to catch it. I grew up playing soccer, so my first instinct when something is thrown at me is to back up and bring it down with my feet. Soccer players keep their hands out of the way so as not to get called for a foul. How can you expect me to know how to throw or catch a ball if I’ve only ever used my feet?
The same can be said for your employees. If someone is handed more responsibility, “Hey, how about you take the lead on this project?” and not given any instructions, they can potentially fail, even if they have been on the sidelines watching the whole time.
Give yourself, and your employees, the best chance at success by providing them with a clear playbook to guide them through their growth. No matter how disappointed you are at their failure, they are most certainly more disappointed with themselves. When you want your employees to act with confidence, and not react with panic; provide them with clear guidance.
If you’re looking to support your employees through their growth, the best place to start is standardizing your operations. Success will be easy with a documented playbook. Reach out to Beck Insights to learn more.
