It’s Not Because You’re a Woman…
Summary
- I had a female leader who was exceptional at her job.
- She told me Jimmy never listened to her or finished tasks she assigned.
- She thought Jimmy wasn't respecting her because she is a woman.
- I suggested it might be because she conditioned people to ignore her requests by doing the tasks herself when they didn't.
- She lacked the ability to delegate because she would jump in and rescue people.
Video
How To Take Action
I would suggest implementing a few key strategies:
Delegate Clearly and Consistently: Start by clearly delegating tasks to your team members. Make sure they understand what you need them to do and why it's important. Write down the tasks or send a follow-up email to ensure clarity.
Set Expectations: When you assign a task, set clear deadlines and expectations. Let your team know that you expect the task to be completed by the assigned time without you stepping in to finish it.
Follow Up but Don’t Jump In: Instead of jumping in to finish a task because it's not done on time, follow up with the person responsible. Ask them about the progress and provide support or guidance if needed, but avoid taking over the task.
Give Feedback: If a task isn’t completed correctly or on time, provide constructive feedback. Explain the impact and encourage better performance next time. Recognize and praise when tasks are done well to reinforce positive behavior.
Empower Your Team: Encourage your team to take ownership of their tasks. Allow them to make decisions and solve problems on their own. This builds their confidence and competence.
Reflect and Adjust: Reflect on your actions and how often you step in to rescue tasks. Make a conscious effort to delegate more and resist the urge to take over. Adjust your approach if needed to ensure you’re fostering a more responsible and independent team.
By implementing these strategies, you’ll develop a culture of accountability and respect in your workplace, leading to higher productivity and better teamwork.
Full Transcript
I had a female in the workplace and she was a female leader and she was truly an exceptional human so fantastic at her job she came to me one day and she said you know what Jimmy over here isn't listening to me he never does what I say he never helps me on these things he never finishes the tasks he never completes any of these things and honestly Leila I think it's because I'm a woman I took a step back because obviously anytime you hear that in the workplace it's like oh wow okay so we're we're thinking that there's gender bias here but then I looked at Jimmy and I looked at her I asked her I said you've actually just conditioned people and trained people to acknowledge that when you ask them to do something and they don't do it you just do it for them and so what if it's not that Jimmy disrespects you because you're a woman what if it's that you've trained Jimmy by the fact that the first time that he ever didn't do what you asked you just did it for him instead she lacked the ability to truly delegate tasks because she would just end up jumping in rescuing people
