Help your team make better decisions

Every manager wants their employees to have good judgment. The good news is that judgment is a muscle that you can help your team build.

• Start by talking through how you make important decisions.
• Explain the criteria and stakeholders you consider, as well as any risks and trade-offs you assess. This will teach people how you think, help them understand company priorities, and demonstrate the factors you want them to consider when they’re making future judgement calls.
• Acknowledge that mistakes will happen, and that it’s okay. You need to let your team members make big or hard decisions on their own from time to time. Remind yourself of the mistakes that you made that helped you grow.
• And, be curious, not dismissive, when a team member makes a poor judgment call. Ask them questions that help you understand their thought process and push their thinking for the next time.