Knowing When To Step Back

Stand clear

When things are already in motion the instinct is to add - another opinion, another instruction, another intervention. It feels like help. It rarely is.

Instead, ask a different question. Not “what can I add here?” but “what happens if I don’t?”

Some situations already have what they need. Momentum is there. The team knows the direction. At that point, another voice doesn’t help - it interrupts.

The hardest thing for anyone who cares is to do nothing. Not because nothing is happening, but because everything already is. Good judgement lies in recognising when involvement adds value and when it interferes.

Sometimes the most useful thing you can do is get out of the way.

Where are you adding yourself to something that doesn’t need you?

David R. Smith