When you start coaching your team members into more senior roles, you will ask for their input into decision-making. This is important, because you eventually want them to make their own decisions, and your role now is to help build their judgement.
But don’t wait for them to be operating independently before they make those decisions. Start now, even while you’re coaching them.
It’s one thing to offer input into decisions; it’s another thing altogether to make those decisions. Organisations move when people make decisions, and stagnate when they don’t. For example, when Denise Morrison took over the reins at a struggling Campbell’s, she changed one part of their Leadership Model from “Drive organizational consensus” to “Drive decision making”. Give your team members the power to make more decisions, including decisions you normally make yourself.
If they aren’t ready to make these decisions, first let them make more decisions at their own level, and then bring them closer to higher decisions. For example, invite them to a management meeting as an observer so they can see the decision-making process in action.
When you let them make decisions (at any level), accept those decisions, even if you think you would have made a different decision. Unless they have overlooked something important, go with their decision, not yours.
