I Have to Do It Again?

A leader came to me recently with a frustration that was written all over her face before she even said a word. She had a team member who worked hard. Showed up. Moved quickly. Was genuinely motivated to get things done and never left a task sitting longer than necessary.

On paper, that sounds like exactly the kind of employee you want.

The problem was what was getting left behind in the speed.

Errors. Inaccuracies. Details that had been skimmed over in the rush to completion. And this leader found herself, again and again, circling back to the same work, having the same conversations, and often times, quietly fixing what had been submitted as finished because it just seemed easier than having another conversation about the mistakes and urging the employee to slow down.

The part that was wearing on her wasn't just the rework.  It was the conversation she kept having to have. She genuinely liked this employee. She didn't want to discourage someone who was clearly motivated and trying. And so she had been softening the feedback, working around the edges, hoping things would improve, while privately absorbing more than her share of the quality control.

"I just know how it needs to be done," she admitted. "So sometimes it's easier to fix it myself."

I hear that often. And it's one of the most understandable, and quietly costly, leadership habits there is.

Done Is Not the Same as Done Well

There is a particular kind of employee who is wired for completion. They get genuine satisfaction from checking things off. They move with urgency. They hate leaving things unfinished. In many ways, that drive is a real strength, and it deserves to be acknowledged as one.

But completion without accuracy isn't actually completion.  It's a first draft dressed up as a final product. And when leaders accept it as such, either by fixing it themselves or by softening the feedback until the message disappears, they inadvertently communicate that done is enough.  It isn't. Not always. And the employee deserves to know that.

Here's what happens when leaders absorb the rework instead of addressing it:

• The employee never grows. They continue operating at the level they're at, unaware that there's a gap, because nobody has told them clearly enough that one exists. 

• The leader becomes quietly resentful. 

• The team's work product suffers. 

• And the employee, who is genuinely motivated, is being robbed of the feedback that could make them significantly better.

Protecting someone from honest feedback is not kindness. It is, as we've talked about before, a "kindness" that isn't kind.

The Temptation to Just Do It Yourself

When a leader knows exactly how something should be done, when they can see the gap instantly and could close it in a fraction of the time it would take to explain, the pull to just fix it is powerful. It feels efficient. It feels practical. In the short term, it is both of those things.

But in the long term, it is one of the quietest ways a leader can stunt their team's growth.

When you consistently do it yourself, the employee never learns. They never develop the eye for quality that only comes from being held to it. They stay dependent on the leader's invisible corrections rather than developing their own standard of excellence. And the leader stays stuck, doing two jobs instead of one, wondering why things don't improve.

Slowing down to guide the work takes longer in the moment. It produces something the shortcut never can, a team member who eventually doesn't need the correction at all.

How to Have the Conversation

This is where the leader was stuck. Not in identifying the problem, she could see it clearly. But in finding a way to address it that honored the employee's genuine strengths while still naming the gap with enough clarity to actually close it.

Here is a framework worth trying:

1) Start with the strength, and mean it

This employee's drive for completion is real and valuable. Say so, specifically.

"I want to start by saying that your motivation to get things done is something I genuinely appreciate. You don't let things sit. You follow through. That matters on this team."

This is not cushioning. This is accurate. Lead with what is true and good before moving to what needs to shift.

2) Name the tension clearly

"Here's what I'm noticing, and I want to be honest with you about it because I think you're capable of more. The drive to complete things quickly is sometimes moving faster than the accuracy. And I need both from you, not one or the other."

Clear. Specific. Not personal. And it sets up the expectation without ambiguity.

3) Reframe the definition of done

"On this team, something isn't finished when it's submitted. It's finished when it's right. I want to help you get there, because doing it well the first time is actually faster than doing it twice."

This reframe matters. It connects accuracy to the employee's own value of efficiency. Done right the first time is the ultimate completion.

4) Invite them into the standard

Rather than simply correcting the work, bring the employee alongside the quality review. 

"Let's look at this together. Walk me through your process. Help me understand where the gaps are showing up so we can figure out where to slow down."

This turns the conversation from correction into coaching. And it gives the employee ownership of their own improvement rather than simply receiving a verdict about their work.

When a leader takes the time to have this conversation, clearly, kindly, and repeatedly if necessary, they are sending a message that goes well beyond the accuracy of any single task.

They are saying, "I believe you are capable of more than you are currently producing. I think enough of you to tell you the truth. And I am invested enough in your growth to have this conversation instead of just fixing it myself."

That is not a discouraging message.  That is one of the most encouraging things a leader can offer.

Reflection Questions

• Am I absorbing rework quietly instead of addressing the root issue with my team member?

• Have I communicated clearly that accuracy and completion carry equal weight, or have I let the emphasis on getting things done send an unintended message?

• Where am I doing it myself when I should be coaching someone else to do it well?

• How might this employee grow if I gave them honest, consistent feedback instead of working around the gap?

  
  

Completion matters. Momentum matters. The drive to get things done is a genuine strength worth celebrating.

And accuracy matters just as much.

The goal isn't to slow a motivated employee down. It's to help them understand that their value to the team lives in both, and that doing it right the first time is the most efficient thing they can do.

For everyone.

You matter. Especially when you care enough to have the conversation instead of just fixing it yourself.

If you're searching for someone to lead a training or speak on leadership and self-awareness, consider this your sign to reach out. I'd love to connect.