The reverse Oprah

I love that Oprah's production company was called Harpo - which is her name in reverse. But there is another reverse Oprah on my mind.

In 2004, the TV talk-show host gave everyone in her studio audience a brand new Pontiac G-6 sedan, famously shouting out,

"You get a car! You get a car! You get a car!"

It was an iconic moment in television history.

But some days, especially as a manager, people seem to rush up and reverse-Oprah us.

"You get my problem! You get my problem! You get my problem!"

It can be overwhelming.

Sometimes, you will need to step in and other times, you need some boundaries.

ONE THING that can happen is you just want to leap in and save the day. But long-term, you are making a rod for your back and doing them a disservice.

Bringing some curiosity and compassion to someone dealing with an issue and coaching them through this will lessen your need to solve every problem and give you some time back. And it will develop your people and bring them greater satisfaction and confidence.