Gooood morning team happy Tuesday!!
It’s a big week here at FLW HQ. We’re down to our final 7 candidates for the Social Media Executive role, final interviews are happening today and tomorrow, and the calibre has been impeccable. We can’t wait to introduce our newest team member.
Story time… When I first became a manager, I thought I was helping my team by always being available. I assumed I was supporting by:
Jumping in to fix drafts or slides “just to save time.”
Answering every Slack or email as fast as humanly possible.
Joining every meeting “for context.”
Checking in with, “How’s it going?” regularly.
But that’s how my micromanagement snook in. Not through control, but because I cared.
We all do it. We rescue. We solve. We explain. And slowly, our team learns one subtle lesson: you’ll figure it out for them.
It’s a trap I’ve fallen into more times than I care to admit, and it’s the same pattern I see managers stuck in every single day.
The paradox of being a “helpful” manager
Most managers don’t micromanage because they love control. We micromanage because we care deeply about outcomes. We want the team to do great work, so we help… then we become the bottleneck.
Then we feel frustrated that no one takes initiative.
And so… we step in again… Because the work still has to get done of course.
And round we go.
When I first ran a department of twelve, I realised my best people were stagnating. They could execute well, but struggled to think strategically because I’d never created the space or structure for them to. They were trained to wait for me.
Why people stop thinking for themselves
No one wants to be micromanaged. But independence doesn’t happen by accident. It happens when three psychological needs are met:
Autonomy: They have control over how to achieve outcomes
Capability: They actually believe they can do it well
Trust: They know you trust them and won’t punish them for trying
This comes from the work of psychologists Richard Ryan and Edward Deci, who developed Self-Determination Theory, one of the most robust frameworks for motivation we have.
In simple terms: if people don’t feel safe, skilled, or empowered, they won’t take initiative. Why would they?
Add in a lack of clarity (“what does success actually look like?”) and you’ve got the perfect storm of dependent behaviour.
The balance of autonomy and accountability
The goal isn’t to give your team total freedom. It’s to give them what we like to call structured freedom.
Clarity + constraints = creativity.
Here’s how it works in practice…
When I led a marketing team of five, I used to give loose briefs.
“Can you put together something for this client campaign?”
Half the time I’d get back something brilliant but totally off-message. The other half, nothing at all because the lack of clarity paralysed them.
Eventually, I learned to set tight clarity, with loose constraints.
I’d say:
“The goal is X, by Y date. It needs to include A and B, and be suitable for Z audience. How you get there is up to you… Just run your plan by me before [agree a date together].”
That one sentence shifted everything.
They owned the how. I owned the why.
And suddenly, people started thinking again.
5 concepts that actually make people think for themselves
1. Clarity beats freedom
You can’t empower someone who doesn’t know what success looks like. Define the outcome, the non-negotiables, and the decision rights.
Don’t say “build the campaign.”
Say, “you own the design and scheduling, I’ll review final messaging before it goes live.”
2. Constraints are your friend
People equate freedom with creativity, but it’s actually the opposite. Guardrails help people move faster. Timeboxes, budgets, templates… These aren’t restrictive, they’re enabling.
3. Create cadence, not check-ins
Constant “how’s it going?” messages scream mistrust. Instead, build rhythm: a 10-minute kickoff to align, a 15-minute mid-point review, then let them run.
It’s enough structure to stay on track (without hovering).
4. Coach, don’t correct
When someone brings you a problem, resist the reflex to solve it. Instead, ask:
“What do you recommend?”
“What’s the risk if we go that way?”
“What’s your next step?”
5. Follow through consistently
Holding people accountable is kind. It doesn’t make you the bad guy. When someone owns something, let them own it. Don’t quietly fix their work at 10pm. Give feedback. Debrief together. But don’t rescue.
The moment you rescue, you’ve taught them that your “ownership” talk is optional.
How to know if it’s working
You’ll know you’re getting it right when your 1:1s shift from “status updates” to “strategy discussions.” When people start sentences with, “I’ve been thinking…” instead of “What do you want me to do?”
That’s the sign you’ve built thinkers, not doers. It won’t happen overnight. Expect a wobble. Expect mistakes. That’s part of learning.
But if you want a team that runs without you, you have to let them run first.