Your team is struggling to take ownership of tasks. How can you empower them to reduce your workload?
When your team isn't taking ownership, it can increase your workload significantly. Here’s how you can empower them:
What strategies do you use to empower your team?
Your team is struggling to take ownership of tasks. How can you empower them to reduce your workload?
When your team isn't taking ownership, it can increase your workload significantly. Here’s how you can empower them:
What strategies do you use to empower your team?
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Create accountability through transparent tracking tools like shared dashboards or progress meetings. Assign clear deadlines and define each team member’s role in achieving goals. Publicly acknowledge contributions to foster a sense of responsibility and pride. This structure ensures tasks are completed efficiently while building a culture of ownership.
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Clarify Expectations of each team member. Define roles and responsibilities clearly, so everyone understands their part in the bigger picture. Share the "why" behind tasks to inspire a sense of purpose. It is also important to assign tasks aligned with each team member’s strengths and interests. Resist the urge to micromanage; provide autonomy while being available for support.
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1. Clarify Roles and Impact. If the team is hesitant to take ownership, clarity is key. Helping them understand how their contributions connect to the bigger picture enhances motivation and accountability. Use coaching questions to dig more --> "How clear are you about your role and how your work contributes to the team’s success?" 2. Identify Barriers and obstacles that may hinder ownership. Ask: "What challenges are holding you back from fully owning your tasks?" 3. Identify Support Needs. This allows for personalized supports. Ask: "What do you need from me to feel more empowered to take ownership of your tasks?"
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I will have meetings with each member of the team and talk through their roles and expectations. Do they possess the necessary KSAs for the tasks assigned to them? What can you do to help them develop new skills to become effective? Each team member is unique and some may struggle without guidance. Wean them off slowly to enable them use their own initiative. Offer regular feedback and celebrate the little and big wins together as a team, this may encourage and empower them to take ownership of tasks and enjoy their roles.
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To empower your team and reduce your workload, foster a culture of ownership and accountability. Clearly define roles and responsibilities, ensuring each team member understands their contribution to the overall project. Provide necessary mentoring, coaching, training and resources to equip them with the tools to succeed. Delegate tasks appropriately, trusting their abilities to deliver results. Offer regular feedback and recognition to motivate and inspire. Encourage open communication and collaboration, allowing team members to seek help and share ideas. By empowering your team, you can create a more efficient and productive work environment, reducing your workload and fostering professional growth.
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Empowering your team to take ownership starts with trust and clear communication. In my experience, defining roles, setting expectations, and providing autonomy in decision-making fosters accountability. Regular check-ins ensure alignment without micromanaging. A helpful strategy I’ve found is delegating tasks as opportunities for skill growth, framing them as challenges rather than burdens. Celebrating successes, even small wins, boosts confidence and morale, creating a culture where ownership feels rewarding and natural.
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Effective Delegation: Assign tasks based on team members' strengths and expertise, ensuring they understand the purpose behind their responsibilities.
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I empower my team to take ownership by clearly defining roles, setting expectations, and trusting them to make decisions. I provide support through regular feedback and recognize their efforts to build confidence. For example, I once delegated a key project, offering guidance only when asked. Seeing their success boosted morale and lightened my workload.
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Take time to cast the vision for the team and discuss what it will look like for the organization and individuals if the mission was lived out. I would also unpack how not meeting deadlines hinders the organization from moving forward. Each meeting should be about 1 topic- an obstacle that is preventing the team/ orgazization from moving forward. Provide a resolution ( cast the vision of accomplishing the mission) Brainstorm the issue with the team and then develop a plan with the team creating steps to move forward. Cleary define the roles for each teammate that is intenional and focues. Adding a completion date and timelines for each task that each teammate is aware of. Recast the vision before the meeting so they can own it.
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