If you’re like me, you probably don’t like it when you get the response IDK (I don’t know) when you are trying to make a decision. As you have likely learned by now, I like to be decisive and efficient whenever possible, so an IDK answer really slows me down. That can lead to some frustration.
That frustration stems from two sources: first, the IDK response was given instead of an answer that should have been known; and second, the IDK response causes a delay in decision making. (I want to stress that I really do appreciate it when people ask for help, and I am excited when people take the opportunity to learn something they don’t understand or know very little about. So this discussion is not about “not knowing” – instead, it’s about not knowing when it is your responsibility to know the details, and that drives me crazy.)
In this short blog, I hope to illustrate how we, as supervisors, impact the productivity of our teams when we are not staying informed or willing to make a decision.
I have spent time in previous blogs discussing the “preparation” that supervisors need to do (it doesn’t matter what level you are supervising, this applies to all of our managers and leaders, too). Some of the preparation includes walking the job, taking time to understand the work, knowing the details, vigorously managing the details and keeping notes. Good supervisors do all of these steps so that they are well informed about the work they are managing.
When you are asked a question by someone in the company, all of the knowledge you gain during the preparation phase helps you avoid the IDK answer. This is because you did the work to understand!
There are two more benefits that result from your prep work. The knowledge and understanding you gain increases your confidence, and you gain the ability to make better decisions. These are huge personal benefits to you professionally as well as important benefits for the company – a win-win.
I believe it is easy to spot someone who knows their work, understands the content, demonstrates their ability and skill, and has the confidence of someone who knows what they are doing. It doesn’t matter if the individual is a skilled tradesperson or a director – that confidence shows, and you know they know their stuff.
An easy way to check is to ask some detailed questions; if the person is conversant on the topic, then you know. You cannot fake it – although some people try to fake it because they haven’t done the work!
With knowledge comes the ability to make better decisions. When you understand the details and the work, decisions become easier. I am not saying that the decisions are always easy, because many times they are difficult. However, the decision-making process can be simplified when you understand your business or the process that you are managing.
When a team member asks you a question, as a supervisor, giving them the right answer helps them be efficient as well. The worst answer a supervisor can give his or her team is IDK. After all, your team members are looking to you for help and direction.
Do the work, gain the confidence and make the decision!
See you on the deckplates!
Safely Execute High-Quality Work