"Where to start when your team isn’t there yet"

You can’t make a team high-performing.
But you can create the conditions for it to happen.

When I realised one of my teams was more dependent than high-performing, my first instinct was to fix it, new process, clearer roles, better metrics.
None of that helped.

What did help was something smaller.
Focusing the change on each individual.

I coached the Tech Lead to be less helpful, and the less experienced developers to act like a tech lead.

That opened a door.
Instead of trying to replace the experts, we started spreading what they knew.

We created small opportunities for others to take ownership, leading an incident review, designing a small feature, pairing on a tricky decision.
The Tech Lead stayed nearby, but they stepped back just enough to let others step forward.

It wasn’t fast.
But over time, I noticed a shift, fewer escalations, more initiative, more confidence in each other.

That’s how capability grows.
Not through big transformations, but through hundreds of quiet handovers of trust.

So if you’re wondering where to start, start small.
Find one dependency and name it.
Then create one chance for someone else to take the lead.

That’s where high performance begins, in the moment someone realises they can.

Until next time,
Dermot
​The Messy Middle

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