Coach and counselor Dr Jena Field suggests we start by asking whether the root of the “stuckness” is situational, psychological or both.

Situational stuckness means that even though someone may be motivated to change, underlying practical issues, such as a lack of funds, make progress difficult.

Psychological stuckness, Field points out, results from emotional roadblocks that prevent a person from changing. Examples of this could be a harsh inner critic or self-defeating patterns of behavior.

Often, feeling stuck has its root in both types.

Encouraging your team member to examine their challenge through these lenses can help them to start addressing the underlying causes of the problem.

A lack of perspective can also be an issue – and one to which I can certainly relate. Fear of having a less than perfect outcome or making a mistake can lead to analysis paralysis or even catastrophizing. Which is why I like psychologist Adam Alter’s advice (as well as the nominative determinism!).

To combat psychological stuckness, he recommends using “distanced self-talk.” Rather than being at the mercy of your inner critic, imagine you are advising a friend who is stuck the same way as you.

If you combine this with what your intuition is telling you, this should give you a more balanced view and help you to push on through.

Spot the Warning Signs

Feeling stuck can manifest itself in different ways for different people. Procrastination or frustration are common responses. Often, being stuck can cause feelings of inadequacy or even shame. So rather than talk about the issue, a team member might actively avoid it.

The first you might know about it as a manager is that a project stalls or deadlines are missed.

I wonder, too, if remote working adds to that feeling of being stuck. First, in that lack of casual conversation with colleagues which can spark an idea or debate. And second, in how, when stuck, feelings of isolation and even helplessness can creep in.

Whether in person or virtually, spending regular time to meet one-on-one and as a team lets you understand what “good” looks like for your team members on any given day.

Which means you have more chance of catching issues early. For example, an outgoing team member may go quiet, or an even-tempered colleague might become tetchy.

Helping to create a culture of psychological safety in your team can prevent problems such as this. If people feel open discussing their work, including the really gnarly stuff, that’s all to the good.

In my one-on-ones, I have a standing item where I discuss any roadblocks or challenges with team members. Having it there in black and white every time we meet prompts healthy discussion about the difficult stuff.

Lead by Example and Coach to Build Confidence

Be the change you want to see. It’s OK to express some vulnerability as a leader. By discussing challenges or situations where you have managed to get “unstuck” from a problem, your team can become more comfortable with ambiguity and change – and they’ll feel they can come to you for help.

Cultivating a coaching culture is important for building a healthy and effective team. Rather than giving your team members the answers whenever they become stuck, informal coaching conversations can help them to analyze the root cause of their problem and ideally identify a way forward themselves.

Deciding on the right coaching approach for the individual and their situation requires some thought. The Skill/Will Matrix is a tool that I recommend to get this right for different individuals on your team.

The matrix is divided into four quadrants to identify an appropriate coaching style for the situation, based on your team member’s levels of skill and motivation.

Use a Direct approach where your team member lacks skill and motivation and monitor progress with regular check-ins.

You will need to Excite a team member who is highly skilled but low on motivation. What will get them fired up again?

Guide your team member if they show high will, but low skill levels. Create learning opportunities to develop their confidence.

Delegate: apply this approach to people with high skill and high motivation. Make yourself available to brainstorm and bounce around ideas.

Encourage Action

Enough talk, it’s time to get things moving. As Adam Alter says, “The most important principle is to take action even if you’re moving sideways. Action is the great 'unsticker' because it necessarily replaces inertia with movement.”

That action might be switching projects or tasks for a while, or just heading out for a change of scene.

I know colleagues around Mind Tools who are fans of the Brain Trust. This approach, devised by animation house Pixar, can be particularly useful for getting input to creative projects.

In my team, for example, we might come together to debate the best creative approach for a new video or infographic.

A team member will share their script or creative work in progress. Constructive feedback is invited from everyone in the group on what’s working and what’s not, giving the team member who is stuck some further avenues to explore.

The Brain Trust approach doesn’t have to be confined to creative work. It can be used to discuss pretty much any kind of project by assembling a group of relevant and interested colleagues to give candid feedback.

Finally, with bigger issues, don’t be afraid to look outside your team, too. Is there someone in the wider organization, or in your network, who could bring some fresh thinking and get your people unstuck?

What's Next?

Reflect on how you’ve helped team members when they have gotten stuck with a significant task or project in the past. What did you do? What impact did that have? And what would you do differently next time?

For more on how to build psychological safety, see our articles How to Create Psychological Safety at Work and Vulnerable Leadership.

To develop your coaching skills, check out the videos How to Use Informal Coaching and How to Use the Skill/Will Matrix.

Tip of the Week

Focus and All That Jazz

By Kevin Dunne, Mind Tools Content Editor/Writer

Deadlines have a dual role in my life: they are both the bane of it and a blessing.

When I’m facing one, they are painful, ever-present, looming in the outer reaches of my consciousness as I try, without success, to enjoy myself doing something else.

Behind me, they are the building blocks of my life; one achievement after another beautifully piling up. “Ah,” I reflect, “I’d never get anywhere in my life without deadlines.”

Like most weak human beings, the thing I struggle with most is focus. Sometimes when you write, the words fly off your fingertips…500 words in 30 minutes, no problem.

Other times, not so much. But I have a strategy for the “not so much” times – and it works every time.

Jazz. More specifically, instrumental jazz with absolutely no words. The abstract sounds, rhythms and spirals occupy the part of my brain that would otherwise be running off and thinking of more interesting things to do.

It’s like getting a baby to sleep, quieting that inner voice. Then I can concentrate and get on with stuff. And I do.

Miles Davis, John Coltrane, you saved my life.

For more tips on getting and staying in the zone, read our article Top Tips for Staying Focused.

Pain Points Podcast

Don't miss the latest episode of our “Pain Points” podcast!

When it comes to communicating, listening is the poor relation. Often, we’re more concerned with what we say and not with what we hear. The end result is we’re missing out on a lot of information – and the chance to build deeper, more rewarding relationships.

So, join Jonathan Hancock and the Pain Points panel as they explore the concept of active-empathic listening, and share their own tips and techniques on how to get the most out of your conversations!

Subscribe Today

News Roundup

This Week's Global Workplace Insights

Give Burnout the Third Degree

Burnout is not going anywhere. In their latest survey, job site Indeed reported that 52 percent of workers are feeling burned out.

This inspired management consultants Korn Ferry to come up with “5 Hacks to Work More Efficiently” to help keep burnout at bay:

1. Batch tasks: take on high-impact activities when your head is clearest. For instance, admin in the morning, clients in the afternoon.
2. Change channels: why reply instantly to an instant message that doesn’t require it, while leaving an email that might need numerous follow-ups if not answered efficiently?
3. Be antisocial: even silencing notifications may not stop you from getting distracted. Experts suggest apps like Freedom and Cold Turkey that stop you from accessing sites for a specific period.
4. Delegate with AI: identify the AI tool that will increase your efficiency the most. For instance, use AI for note-taking or summarizing meetings.
5. Chunk it: when it comes to big projects with multiple components, fend off overwhelm by chunking the work up into achievable sizes, with deadlines for each.

As ever, work smarter, not harder.

For quick tips to prevent burnout from happening to you, watch our video Burnout and How to Avoid It.

The Meek Don't Inherit Much at Work

Not surprisingly, when people join a new company, they often worry about how they should behave, what they should do and how they’ll fit in.

And they’re often uncomfortable asking too many questions for fear of being viewed as ignorant or incompetent.

But research by news site The Conversation found that while support is crucial for new employees succeeding in a new role, they won’t get enough unless they are proactive.

They suggest:

• Don’t be afraid to stand out: managers expect newcomers to challenge the organization’s functioning, not to simply leave the status quo undisturbed. This means coming up with useful new ideas.
• Communicate accomplishments: time-poor managers generally have limited time to devote to new employees. Newcomers gained visibility best when they actively highlighted their accomplishments to superiors.
• Passive mistakes: being passive not only prevents newcomers from gaining helpful support, but leads them to be seen as “needing excessive guidance.” Ironically, the overly directive over-support they then receive results in worse socialization outcomes: lower performance, higher stress and lower overall job satisfaction for the new employee.

Be seen and heard.

See you next week for more member-exclusive content and insight from the Mind Tools team!