Delegate the outcome, not the task

You were promoted because you were good at the work. So you hand out tasks the way you would do them — step by step — and step in when it is not done your way. The team learns to wait for instructions, and every decision ends up back on your desk.

This lesson is for new managers who feel like the bottleneck for everything. It covers why handing over steps creates dependence, how to describe a finish line instead of a method, and how much room to leave someone depending on how experienced they are. You get a way to open the handover, and a short checklist for what must be agreed before someone starts.

Part of the Delegation track. About two minutes to read, with a seven-day practice plan and a recall check a week later.