Transitioning into a Leadership Role: Tool #4 Building Team Capacity Through S.E.R.V.I.C.E.

How to recognize and scaffold the talents of your team

When you are in a leadership role, the most important focus is to resource the team to do their jobs, NOT to do their jobs for them, or redo them your way later.

If you are used to being in control and believe that your way is always best, this is a very hard shift to allow, but it is necessary. A leadership mindset is always focused on the capacity building of the team. Without it, people become passive, cynical and make more mistakes. The strongest employees leave because they can’t see a path forward. It is a lose/lose situation for everyone.

But how do you stop a lifetime of believing that to be the leader means being the smartest person in the room, having all the answers and making all the decisions? In my last article, “Fostering a Culture of Emotional Safety at Work” I explained how to get started on this project using the S.W.E.L. Model – Safety, Wellbeing, Encouragement and Learning. ( Watch the video and download the infographic inside the article)

Today’s article focuses on a surprising way to be able to let go, without feeling out of control, and building capacity at the same time. It is the fourth of a series covering four managerial skill sets for effective management of today’s workforce.

The four managerial skill sets are:

a) Communicate with respect and authority
b) Motive towards unity of thought
c) Inspire a culture of emotional safety
d) Coach to build team capacity

In this article, capacity comes from creating a context where you and team members get to know each other through service, find opportunities to learn new skills while serving, and rediscover personal and organisational purpose at the same time.

Curious? This is how it works…

Service as capacity builder

There are several contexts at work where team members can be of service. It stems from a desire to be helpful and contribute to the common good. Once team members start to develop it, you will be amazed at the skills they have and so will they. When you are all serving each other, the customer, or a common cause, you see each other in a new light without the usual hierarchy constraints. Here are three ways you can approach developing capacity through service, I’m sure you will come up with more of your own!

Helpfulness as doing what needs to be done

I went to pick up a package, expecting a long wait with a stressed-out staff. Instead, a couple of employees jumped in—one enthusiastically back from break, another calling for anyone with a slip like mine. She saw I was new to the system, guided me outside (even shielding me from the rain), and showed me how it worked. When I thanked her, she said, “I just love helping people—so does everyone here!” By the time I left, the line was gone and everyone seemed happier. Five minutes, and my day was made.

Service takeaway: Encourage team helpfulness, initiative and willingness to do what needs to be done. Watch them grow!

Who does the grunt work?

A manager was frustrated every winter, arriving early to open six remote sites while her team just waited in their trucks. When she finally brought the issue to the team, they were surprised—they hadn’t realized they could start things themselves. They quickly set up a rotating schedule, and if necessary, whoever arrived first would handle the morning setup until the designate arrived. With this small change, team engagement rose, and they even started organizing potlucks and birthday celebrations on their own. Empowered to help, the team became more capable and connected.

Service takeaway: Service builds capacity. But you only discover it when you give the opportunity to collectively solve a problem and allow the group to take ownership of it.

Choosing a dedicated company charity/cause to support

A marketing company boosted team spirit by closing for a day each year to volunteer at the food bank. Employees loved it, saying it was the highlight of their month—they learned new skills, gained perspective, and felt inspired by the food bank staff’s dedication.

Meanwhile, a CNC shop started mentoring a team member’s disabled nephew in machining skills. The program worked so well that they now offer internships to differently abled individuals every year. Through mentorship, the team discovered new coaching and people skills and took real pride in helping others succeed.

Service takeaway: Find a way to engage your team in something meaningful then stand back and be amazed at the skills they had which you may have never seen otherwise.

Here is the acronym for Service you see in the video and as a download:

S. Stand up for others
E. Encourage each other
R. Reward is intrinsic
V. Value all contributions
I. Inspiration not motivation
C. Challenge is there to arise and overcome
E. Effort is needed

Can you see how each of these build capacity from the examples above? And with newfound confidence in your team members’ capacities, you will find you are less attached to needing to control because you have experienced first hand how they rise to the challenge!

Recap

Don’t do everything yourself—let your team step up.
Give them ways to serve: help others, solve problems, support a cause.
Watch new skills and confidence emerge—often in ways you never expected.
The less you micromanage, the more your people (and YOU) grow.

Has anyone experienced a major team “level-up” after backing off and letting people rise to the challenge?

Would love to hear your stories!