Last month my team finished the roadmap planning exercise for the remaining year. Finalized and submitted, we set out to further break it down into monthly milestones.

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A couple weeks later…

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In one of my 1:1s with a team member, she seemed a bit flustered. This was unlike her. Out of genuine concern, I probed further to ensure everything was alright and if I could do anything to help. And then, she finally opened up to me — “I can’t do it!”

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I calmed her down and we dove into problem solving!

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For those of you out there thinking “I can’t do it!”, here's a simple framework to self-diagnose and bridge the gap to "I can do it!"

Head

I don’t know what is needed!

Issue

Lacking clarity/strategy

Resolution

Outward: seek guidance from manager, mentor or peers

Inward: envision the end state and work backwards from it

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Heart

I don’t know why it’s important!

Issue

Lacking vision

Resolution

Outward: build compassion towards the problem by understanding who you’re solving it for (customer obsession)

Inward: find ways to motivate yourself

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Hand

I don’t know how to go about doing this!

Issue

Lacking skills

Resolution

Outward: delegate/hire someone with the right skills

Inward: learn the chops yourself