Paving the Way
Removing Obstacles
"The leader is the servant who removes the obstacles that prevent people from doing their jobs"
- Max De Pree -
As a leader, one of the most effective things you can do for your team is removing obstacles.
Some obstacles are easy to solve while others are more challenging. Obstacles involving resources, relationships or other functions are often the more challenging ones. A leader needs to weigh the ROI (return on investment) on removing obstacles. Many obstacles can simply be removed by asking why or why not things are done a certain way. Removing obstacles often just requires the leader to take a few steps back and examine what it will take to remove the obstacles. The leader can then stand up and do these things.
Beware. As the leader, you may be the very person that put the obstacles in the way of your team. Be prepared to hear about the obstacles you have created and be ready to remove the ones that make no sense.
Your team will become motivated when you seek out and destroy obstacles. They will see you as engaged in their work and will enjoy watching you removing these obstacles. Removing obstacles can and will become a key activity in your role as the leader. Not only will your team be appreciative, but they will also be more productive.
How to remove obstacles
Constructively and proactively managing the obstacle – instead of avoiding – is a first and important step towards the solution. Secondly, avoid emotional attachment to the solution of the obstacle. You don’t fail as a leader if you have not been able to solve the obstacle. It is important though for you and the team that the reason why an obstacle is not solved is clear and understandable.
Managing obstacles requires an objective approach, grounded by business case thinking. In case of any obstacle; the return on solving the obstacle should be bigger than the price of the status quo. It is your role as a leader to prepare decision making for obstacles in such a way that the importance of solving the obstacle is clear but also the consequence of not solving the obstacle and that, in the latter case, the decision maker takes ownership for these consequences.
The most critical trait for removing obstacles is dialogue. Through dialogue, you can create a better understanding of the root cause of the obstacle. Through dialogue, you will have a better understanding of the challenges of other functions in the organization. Through dialogue, you will be able to co-create solutions for the obstacles. Through dialogue, you can design a clean escalation process.
As said, proactively managing the obstacle – and not avoiding – is a key step towards the solution and the way to do that is through dialogue, not by email. Using email is often an avoiding strategy, resulting in stalemate or conflict and seldomly in resolution.
Main obstacles
The main obstacles – in general – are:
- Lack of resources – time and money
- Lack of timely decision making
- Dependencies on other functions – competing priorities
Lack of resources
The steps to take if one of your team members requires additional resources are:
- Challenge the need for these resources and investigate alternatives. Beware! This step is not to push back on the need for resources but to prepare yourself for the challenge that you will be confronted with later in the process. The output of this first step is either a better alternative or a well-considered request for additional resources. Don’t forget to check agreement with the outcome of this conversation with the team before proceeding to the next step.
- Determine the impact of both the positive and negative outcome of the request.
- Create a business case by combining step 1 and 2. This step does not necessarily require a formal, written business case. It is more important you can pitch your request along the lines of a business case.
- Escalate if necessary. In some cases, it requires someone higher in the hierarchy to decide. It is best to thrive for a clean escalation process:
- You agree to disagree with the person you have approached for additional resources.
- You co-create a joined case, stating the impact of the outcome of the decision (what happens if we do and what happens if we don’t allocate additional resources).
- Communicate the full process and rationale of the decision to your team.
Lack of timely decision making
Dialogue – a conversation – is the best solution for breaking through this obstacle. Try to have the conversation with the person who should make the decision or at least as close as possible to that person.
Avoid using email for the following reasons:
- Your email is not as important for the receiver as it is for you.
- There is no better way to show the importance of the decision than doing it verbally.
- You will have a better understanding of the reason for the delay.
- You can help finding solutions as soon as you are aware of the reason for delay.
Another way to solve this obstacle is to find allies who can help to fasten the decision making process. Consider the stakeholders who are positively impacted by what you are doing, they might be able to directly or indirectly influence the speed of decision making.
Dependencies on other functions
Many organizations and leaders suffer from competing priorities. The solution for this obstacle is a combination of the two interventions mentioned before; dialogue and clean escalation.
You can take the following steps:
- Have a conversation with a representative from the other function. Exchange needs, interests and challenges. The objective of the conversation is to achieve reciprocal understanding of the obstacle.
- Try to find alternative solutions for both sides, which are within your authority.
- Escalate if necessary. In some cases, it requires someone higher in the hierarchy to decide. It is best to thrive for a clean escalation process:
- You agree to disagree with the representative from the other function.
- You co-create a joined case, stating the impact of the outcome of the decision (what happens if one or the other activity is prioritized over the other).
- Communicate the full process and rationale of the decision to your team.
Sources: Leadership: Removing Obstacles; Al Getler; June 26, 2012