As a counselor I was trained to let the person on the other side answer their own questions because they internalize the information better. Sort of like when you tell a child to NOT touch the stove, but sometimes they have to experience the heat in order to understand why.

“…but I know how to do it and I don’t have time for them to figure it out…” is a common response. My follow-up question is “Well how did you learn it?” The answer is always: “I had to figure it out myself.”

It’s natural. We have experienced pain in our own career, and we’d rather reduce that pain for others. Plus we’re just too dang busy for mistakes or walking someone through a process step-by-step.

And yet, having experienced that pain has helped us to understand the importance of the task, the “why” behind the numbers, and the muscle memory to repeat the activity.

So how can we help people learn, while also providing a service to our teams? Here’s a few ideas, try one or two to start.

• Ask the learner how they retain information best: are they visual or audible learners?
• Be clear on the outcome and resources available.
• Share their screen and have the learner go through the process while you observe and direct. Be patient as they search for info and buttons so they retain muscle memory.
• Ask questions before you answer. (“What would you do next? Why?”)
• Value in their input as they see ways to do a task better.
• Encourage creation in their own processes going forward (just because it’s not the way you’d do it, doesn’t mean it’s wrong!).

This might take some restraint. However, in the long run…

• They’ll feel ownership for their work and commitment to the team.
• Evolution and creativity will thrive on your team.
• Team members will ask you for help less often.