Introduction

One of the key responsibilities of a team leader in any organization is fostering the professional growth of their team members. For developers, one crucial skill to cultivate is self-reliance when tackling challenges.

However, there’s a delicate balance to maintain between ensuring timely task delivery and nurturing a developer’s growth and independence.

During my time as a team lead, I frequently navigated this balance, and in this post, I’ll share my approach.

Criteria for Decision-Making

When determining whether to prioritize task completion or personal growth, I rely on two main criteria:

Task Priority

The first criterion is the task’s priority. Based on how critical the task is, I decide whether it can serve as a learning opportunity for team members.

For lower-priority tasks, there’s usually more flexibility with deadlines, making them perfect opportunities to focus on personal growth.

In contrast, when dealing with high-priority tasks, meeting the deadline becomes more important than developmental goals.

Task Deadline

The project deadline is another important factor. The closer we are to the deadline, the less room there is for using the task as a growth opportunity.

Approaches for Building Self-Reliance

With the criteria for balancing task completion and developer growth in mind, here are the methods I use to build self-reliance in my team:

Giving Time to Resolve Issues Independently

One method is to allow developers time to tackle issues on their own before stepping in to help. This approach gives them the opportunity to figure out the problem independently while ensuring that, if they hit a wall, the task can still stay on track with some guidance after a set period.

Asking About Attempts Made So Far

It’s crucial to confirm that the developer has genuinely tried to solve the problem on their own. By asking them to explain the different methods they’ve attempted, you can assess their thought process.

This also provides a chance to guide the developer towards more effective problem-solving techniques. Walking them through the right questions and approaches helps shape their thinking for future challenges.

Guiding with Questions, Not Answers

One of the most important practices is avoiding spoon-feeding answers. Instead, asking the right questions can lead developers to discover the solution themselves.

This process builds their confidence in their own abilities, which naturally strengthens self-reliance over time.

New Concepts and Frameworks

When a developer is learning a completely new concept, such as a framework or language, it’s usually best to provide an overview or explanation upfront. This saves time and ensures they don’t struggle needlessly while still allowing them room to grow as they work through the details.

Closing Thoughts

As team leaders, we are responsible for the growth of our developers. A key area of growth is fostering self-reliance in problem-solving. This post has outlined several methods for cultivating that independence within the team, helping them to develop both professionally and personally.