How to Stop Answering Every Question and Build a More Independent Team

Many managers want to empower their teams, but in practice, they end up becoming the answer machine.

An employee walks in with a problem. The manager immediately jumps in with a solution. Another question comes up in a meeting. The manager gives direction again. Over time, the team becomes increasingly dependent on the manager to make decisions, solve problems, and provide reassurance.

It usually comes from a good place. Managers want to be helpful. They want to keep things moving. But constantly providing answers creates a dynamic where employees stop developing confidence in their own thinking.

That’s why leadership experts Laura Ashley-Timms and Dominic Ashley-Timms, co-founders of Notion, a performance improvement consultancy and authors of The Answer is a Question, believe most managers need a different approach to coaching. Not formal coaching sessions. Not hour-long developmental conversations. Just small shifts in everyday interactions that help people think more independently.

The Problem With Traditional “Manager as Coach” Advice

For years, organizations have encouraged managers to coach their employees. The problem is that much of the training on coaching is based on executive coaching models designed for completely different environments. Executive coaches often have dedicated sessions, structured conversations, and uninterrupted time. Managers do not.

Most managers are balancing meetings, deadlines, competing priorities, and constant interruptions. They rarely have the space for formal coaching conversations in the middle of a busy workday.

That’s where operational coaching comes in.

Instead of treating coaching as a separate activity, operational coaching happens inside normal day-to-day conversations. It’s about using small moments more intentionally to help employees think through problems instead of automatically solving those problems for them.

The Habit Managers Need to Break to Foster an Independent Team

According to Laura, the biggest shift starts with learning to pause. When someone brings a challenge to a manager, the instinct is usually to answer the question immediately. But before responding, managers should stop and ask themselves:

“What does this person really need from me right now?”

Often, the employee does not actually need the manager to solve the issue. They may simply need confidence, perspective, or space to think through the situation themselves. That short pause changes the conversation completely.

Instead of taking ownership of the problem, the manager creates an opportunity for the employee to develop ownership.

Ask Questions That Create Thinking

One of the most powerful ideas from the conversation is that not all questions are equally useful.

Many managers unintentionally ask what Dominic describes as “advice dressed up as a question.”

Questions like:

• “Have you tried this?”

• “What about doing it this way?”

• “Couldn’t you just…?”

  
  

These still push the manager’s solution.

Operational coaching relies on questions that encourage reflection and independent thinking instead. Questions such as

• “What options have you already considered?”

• “What makes this challenging?”

• “What advice would you give someone else in this situation?”

• “What do you think needs to happen next?”

  
  

The goal is not to test employees or lead them toward the “right” answer. The goal is to help them think more clearly and confidently for themselves.

Small Changes in Language Matter

Unfortunately, managers can unintentionally make employees defensive when asking questions.

One common example is starting questions with the word “why.”

Questions like “Why did this happen?” or “Why didn’t you do that?” can sound accusatory, even when the manager’s intention is simply to understand the situation.

Laura and Dominic note that a small language shift can completely change the tone of the conversation.

Instead of:

• “Why did this happen?”

  
  

Try:

• “What factors contributed to this?”

• “What was happening at the time?”

  
  

The conversation becomes more collaborative and less personal, which makes it easier for employees to think openly instead of defending themselves.

Coaching in Small Moments Creates Bigger Change

Operational coaching is not about turning every interaction into a deep developmental conversation.

In fact, Dominic suggests managers focus on just a few coachable moments each day.

Those moments add up quickly.

Employees begin thinking through issues before escalating them. They build confidence in their own judgment. Managers spend less time firefighting and more time focusing on strategic work.

One story from the interview captured this perfectly. A regional manager who constantly received calls from store managers decided to stop immediately giving answers and start responding with thoughtful questions instead. Within weeks, the number of calls dropped significantly because employees had started solving more problems independently.

The manager gained back time, but more importantly, the team became more capable and independent.

The Real Role of a Manager

Perhaps the most important takeaway from the discussion is this:

A manager’s job is not simply to provide answers. It is to help other people succeed. That means creating environments where employees can think, contribute, grow, and build confidence in their own capabilities.

Sometimes that requires direction. Sometimes it requires support. But often, it simply requires resisting the urge to immediately solve the problem yourself. The managers who do this well are not less involved. They are more intentional about how they help.

Listen to the entire episode HERE to learn more about coaching your team members.

Keep up with Laura Ashley-Timms and Dominic Ashley-Timms

- Connect with Laura on LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/laura-ashley-timms

- Connect with Dominic on LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/dominic-ashley-timms

- Listen to the STAR® Manager Podcast: https://STARmanager.global/podcast

- Check out their book The Answer Is A Question: https://www.amazon.com/Answer-Question-Superpower-Everything-Transform/dp/0117093912

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