They threw the form in the trash, but it saved him 10 hours per week
Leaders are always asking me, “Brad, how do I find time to do the really important work? When do I get to think, or look at what’s next? I spend all my time trying to keep the wheels on the bus and the clients happy.”
I think of one of my very first clients whenever I hear that question.
We were working together in his office, and every 5-10 minutes someone would walk in and ask him a question. He was happy to answer it; he hated to see folks spinning their wheels, and he generally had a quick answer that would get them back to work. Apparently, this was how he had evolved working with his team. They had questions, he had answers.
Though he prided himself on having an “open-door policy,” he could see how the constant interruptions kept him from doing his most important work. We did the math — whatever time his team ‘wasted’ solving things themselves was nothing next to the 10 hours a week he’d get back to spend on the company’s biggest opportunities.
That day I created a short form with 6 questions and printed a stack of them. I hung them on a clipboard outside his office door, and we created a new system so that no one could ask him a question without a completely filled-out form. (This was before “remote work” was a thing.)
Here were the questions:
- What is your question? How many times have folks come to you with a poorly formed question, and you have to start out by unraveling what they are asking before you can answer? If you get them to write down their actual question, they get clearer about how they can answer it.
- What have you already done to try to answer that question? If their first move is to ask you, they are wasting your time. If they can learn to answer their own questions, this problem goes away.
- Who else have you asked this question to? You are not the only source of truth. If your team learns to depend on each other, they will all rise together.
- What information have you uncovered so far? Before you answer their question, let’s review what they know. (The answer might already be there.)
- What options have you considered, and what is your recommendation? This enables you to see their thinking. A surprising number of team member questions are really folks looking to borrow your confidence, or get permission.
- What, specifically, do you need from me? They may just want to hear you say, “I think this is great, go do it!” or they may need your clout or contacts to move something forward, but whatever it is, they are being specific so you can respond to their need.
Once the form went up, the change was immediate. Multiple times a day, I saw folks walk up to his door, start filling out the form, then drop it in the trash and go back to their desks to do more research, or ask a friend. It saved him tons of time, and his staff was getting smarter in the process. The best part is, the issues that really did need his experience and judgment were the ones that made it to his desk.
How have you helped your teams to solve their own problems without interrupting you? Hit reply; I’d love to collect other ideas!
