In the first article of this series, First steps as a new manager: unblock yourself to focus on what truly matters, we discussed how to navigate the early challenges of transitioning into a managerial role. The focus was on unblocking yourself: clarifying expectations with your manager, prioritizing effectively, and embracing delegation. These foundational steps help you shift from survival mode to a more strategic mindset, creating the mental and emotional bandwidth needed to lead effectively.
Why unblock your team?
Once you’ve unblocked yourself, the next challenge is removing barriers for your team. Unlike personal productivity fixes, this takes time, patience, and trust—but the payoff is higher team performance, engagement, and strategic impact.
Scaling and unlocking potential
A blocked team can function, but it won’t scale. Bottlenecks slow down progress, prevent growth, and keep teams stuck in a reactive cycle. When you remove obstacles, people can take ownership, innovate, and perform at their best—without waiting for approvals or micromanagement.
Boosting engagement
A great side effect of giving people ownership and autonomy is that they naturally feel more engaged. When teams see inefficiencies but lack the power to fix them, frustration builds. By unblocking your team, you create an environment where people actively shape how they work, rather than just executing tasks.
Focusing on strategy and stakeholders
A self-sufficient team allows you to move from daily firefighting to strategic leadership. When the team runs smoothly, you gain the bandwidth to build stronger relationships with stakeholders—Product, Design, Leadership, and beyond—aligning efforts with long-term goals.
How to unblock your team
The following actions aren’t a one-time checklist. Instead, think of them as part of a continuous process of improvement, evolving as your team grows and faces new challenges.
Build trust
Trust is the cornerstone of any successful team. Without it, progress stops. Trust operates on multiple levels, but two stand out as the most critical:
Trust in you as a leader
If your team doesn’t trust you, they won’t follow your guidance, no matter how well-intentioned. Trust takes time, but three key behaviors accelerate it:
- Be transparent: Share your thought processes, decisions, and challenges.
- Be approachable: Create an environment where team members feel comfortable coming to you with their concerns.
- Be fair: Treat everyone equitably and stand by your commitments.
Early in my leadership journey, we hired an engineer who quickly became disengaged. I openly admitted this was my first time handling such a situation but assured him I’d find a better fit. A few weeks later, he transitioned to another team where he thrived, and later became an Engineering Manager. Not all situations end this well, but trust always remains within your control.
Trust within the team
Your role isn’t just to build trust with individuals but to foster it within the team. Here’s how:
- Act on feedback: Create safe spaces for sharing, but don’t stop at listening—take visible action. Trust erodes quickly when concerns go unheard.
- Address harmful behaviors: Set clear boundaries against underperformance, toxicity, or inappropriate comments.
- Advocate for your team: Your team may not always see the efforts you make outside their direct view. Share how you’ve represented their concerns in leadership meetings, negotiated for resources, or pushed back on unrealistic deadlines. Transparency here reinforces trust.
When trust is strong, everything else—collaboration, innovation, and engagement—becomes easier. And as a leader, work becomes far more rewarding when your team believes in you and each other.
Get to know your team
Understanding your team is one of the most essential steps to unlocking its potential. When you know your teammates’ strengths and aspirations, you can assign them opportunities and challenges that resonate with their goals. Similarly, by identifying their weaknesses, you can work with them to overcome these barriers and unleash their full potential.
Team dynamics also play a crucial role. Relationships within the team can naturally vary—some might be strong, while others could have underlying tensions. As a manager, it’s your responsibility to be aware of these dynamics and nurture an environment where everyone feels they belong and can collaborate effectively.
Being genuinely curious and involved in your team’s day-to-day is key. People sense authenticity, and when you show genuine interest in their work and well-being, it fosters a deeper connection. I’ve also found that being open about my own challenges and experiences helps create a safe space. When you share your own journey, others are more likely to open up about theirs. This mutual openness not only strengthens trust but also helps you lay the groundwork for a more collaborative and resilient team.
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Identify problems and gaps
While building trust and understanding your team, it’s just as important to identify areas for improvement. This requires a mix of listening, observing, and measuring.
Ask your teammates and people around the team
The best insights come directly from those involved. Create a safe space for honest feedback by showing vulnerability, like, “I want to improve, and I need your help,” or “I trust your judgment,”. Admitting your own mistakes—such as saying, “I’m doing this wrong, did you notice?”—can also encourage candid conversations.
When seeking feedback, ask open-ended questions that encourage reflection, such as:
- “If there was one thing you could change in our team, what would it be?”
- “What am I not doing that you wish I did?”
- “What worries you right now that we aren’t talking about?”
If trust is still growing, anonymous surveys can encourage more candid responses.
Observe
Being present in your team’s day-to-day helps uncover frustrations, inefficiencies, and subtle patterns that might go unnoticed in formal feedback.
Measure
Data can help spot trends, but it’s just one piece of the puzzle. Use existing metrics if available, but don’t let numbers replace real conversations and observations.
By combining direct feedback, real-world observation, and light-touch metrics, you’ll gain a fuller picture of what needs improvement—and where to start.
Make changes incrementally and experiment
Once you’ve identified areas for improvement, it’s tempting to jump in and overhaul everything at once. However, people are naturally resistant to change, especially if it feels sudden or overwhelming. A better approach is to introduce changes incrementally and treat them as experiments. This reduces pressure and creates an environment where iteration is welcomed.
Start by framing the problem clearly for your team. Rather than presenting a pre-baked solution, invite the team to discuss the issue and brainstorm possible ways to address it. This approach has two significant benefits:
- Increased buy-in: When the team feels ownership over the solution, they are more invested in its success. It’s their idea, not something imposed from above.
- Better solutions: Collective problem-solving leverages the diverse perspectives and expertise within the team, often leading to more creative and effective outcomes than one person could devise alone.
Incremental change not only minimizes resistance but also builds momentum. Each successful adjustment builds confidence in your leadership and the team’s ability to improve together. It’s a cycle of progress fueled by collaboration and trust.
Evaluate
After implementing changes, take time to assess their impact. If measurable, rely on metrics; if not, observe and ask the team how they feel about the changes. Regular retrospectives are invaluable—they provide a safe space for open discussion and ensure the team is actively involved in continuous improvement. Use this feedback to refine your approach and build on successes.
Summary and what’s next
Unblocking your team is a vital step toward creating a high-performing and engaged group. By building trust, understanding your team, identifying areas for improvement, and implementing changes incrementally, you’re fostering an environment where both the team and its individuals can thrive. This process doesn’t just elevate your team’s performance—it frees you to focus on strategic priorities and ensures the entire team is aligned and moving forward.
But there’s more to leadership than just unblocking yourself and your team. In the final part of this series, we’ll explore how to find and embrace your authentic leadership style. It’s about leveraging your unique strengths and values to lead with confidence and purpose. We’ll discuss practical ways to discover what works for you, from self-reflection to feedback and mentorship, and how to turn your authenticity into a superpower for leadership. Stay tuned!
While you wait for the sequel, check out the previous article, How Listening Transforms the Workplace.
