Not all tasks can be completed in a way that allows for ultimate individual creativity and freedom.
Many external factors at play define how a task is to be performed:
- Policies
- Industry regulations
- Standard operating procedures
- Cultural norms
In the most extreme example, the specific task is heavily prescriptive, and there is little if any, room for individual expression. Think of finance, risk, and legal functions that could have significant consequences should specific steps not be followed thoroughly.
Luckily, this isn’t the case for most day-to-day efforts, as this type of prescriptive work culture would be highly restrictive to most individuals.
However, the opposite approach, ultimate autonomy, where the individual has full control as to the “what” and “how” they approach their work, can be equally frustrating to all involved.
The ideal approach provides a balance of freedom for creativity and direction for clarity. It’s kind of like driving on a four-lane highway; the leader is responsible for setting the course and direction of action, while the individual is free to drive as they see fit within the defined four lanes of the highway.
Being overly prescriptive results in a one-lane highway approach where the individual feels trapped and micro-managed. The opposite can also be concerning, as without any guardrails or lanes on the highway, then there is a high probability that the direct report will head off course and potentially get lost.
For best results, leader-managers must be clear on the guard rails or lanes of the highway that the individual must work within. But within the four lanes, they must let go.
Key Takeaways
- Reflect on whether your current approach to delegating is overly prescriptive or broad and how this might be impacting the results of your team.
- Experiment with setting better guardrails to guide work while not being overly prescriptive.
- Have some fun, and feel confident that as long as you set the proper boundaries anything that occurs in the middle will be good enough.
