How to know if you're the bottleneck

One of the first challenges I noticed when I moved from a larger, more corporate organization to a smaller technology start up was the bottleneck created by 'founding employees.' These small groups of employees often held the most intellectual capital because they knew the systems inside and out. After all, they were the ones who built it. 

You might think that having this small group of experts would be an asset, their knowledge surely was, but because they held so much core knowledge, they actually created learning liabilities. This is how it frequently played out:

• Because they knew the fastest way, they jumped in to take over processes

• Because they could handle the most complex questions, they led (or took over) meetings

• Because they knew every quirk and back end detail, newer hires just deferred learning the system in full because they could go ask the expert

• But BECAUSE these experts were so frequently jumping in, answering everyone's questions, taking over and fixing, they couldn't actually elevate themselves to more strategic and intentional work. 

They were stuck as doers, not leaders who could move the organization into it's next level of growth. They were such good experts it hindered their potential. 

You don't have to work in a start-up type of organization to get create an “expertise bottleneck.” I've coached leaders who've very unintentionally created this trap because:

1. They knew a system, product or service better than others

2. They knew how to politically maneuver better than others

3. They knew how to fix/perform faster than others

While it may seem that you are doing the organization and your team a great service by working so quickly, giving great advice and taking things off their hands, you are actually hindering your team's and organization's potential. 

Your team doesn't have to learn anything because they've got you! While that might be a nice ego boost for a leader, it actually can lead to burnout. Why? Because you can't vacation, you can't advance, you can't take a break, you can't stop fighting fires because you've created a team co-dependent on your expertise. 

Being too good of an expert keeps you, and the organization, in an advancement trap. You can't grow because people need you too much. The organization can't advance with people who aren't developing their skills and knowledge.

Are you allowing your expertise in an area to create a bottleneck? How could this be hindering your potential and the potential of your team?

PUT THIS IDEA INTO ACTION

I get it, it feels good to give people answers, great advice, swoop in and fix things. When we are young high achievers, this how we get top performance ratings, gold stars and bonuses. 

However, as a leader, this is one of the most common reasons I see leaders 1) fail to inspire others 2) fail to achieve organizational initiatives 3) advance in the organization and 4) hit burnout.

To help you clear the expertise bottleneck which can keep you from advancing at work and move into a more strategic leader:

1. Why am I holding on to things instead of delegating? Understanding the motivation behind your fixing, answering, and keeping is key to making a shift. Do you enjoy the role of the expert because you enjoy the mastery of completion? Do you perceive that's the only way you add value? Do you like to be needed? Something else?

• Challenge your thinking by considering the opposite: How might it be just as true that your “doing all the things” is reducing your value? Is making you “not needed” as a leader by the organization? Is reducing your mastery?

2. Choose one area to name someone else the expert. Pick one area at work where you feel the most resentment or burnout. Who else would be excited to take on this ownership and build their skills? Who else has a talent for this? 

• If you believe that “no one else could do this but me” try breaking this down into smaller parts. Can they take on a part of your process or project? Most importantly, are you sure your belief is true? (I bet you hired smarter people than you think ;) )

3. Allow people to struggle. All too often, leaders jump in and take back projects, take over meetings and jump in to save the day because they are not comfortable allowing others to struggle while learning something new. The struggle is exactly where the magic happens. 

• How can you pause for a bit longer before jumping in, allowing your team to feel the satisfaction (and engagement!) that comes from figuring it out themselves?

TRY THIS NEXT: Assess your Expertise Bottlenecks. Where may you be hindering progress or growth in others? What feedback can you ask for to discern if your perception is reality?