Why "Feel free to do it your way" makes subordinates freeze

"This time, I'd like you to use your own judgment and feel free to do it your way."

The slightly stiff expression on the young employee's face when I said that with high expectations.

"Um... is there a past format I should follow?" "Specifically, what is the correct way to proceed?"

Huh, that's strange.

When I was giving detailed instructions, they looked like they were thinking, "This is stifling" or "I want more autonomy."

But the moment I loosened the reins and gave them "freedom," they started asking for "detailed instructions" themselves.

They should have wanted to be free, yet they can't move without instructions. I've always felt uneasy about this "sense of discomfort, as if the freedom I gave them was being thrown back at me."

When you think about it, this is the same as "a bicycle that has had its training wheels removed for the first time."

The parent pushing from behind is smiling, thinking, "Now you can go anywhere freely!" But from the child's perspective in the saddle, the absence of the training wheels (instructions) they relied on is just a terrifying experience.

They might fall. They might get hurt.

That's why they desperately want a "manual to ensure they never fall," asking things like, "How hard should I push the pedals?" or "How do I keep my balance?"

Imagine a circus "trapeze."

Why can the performer dive into the air so boldly in such a high, unstable place? Is it because they have a strong mentality?

No. It's because "there is a thick net spread out underneath."

The peace of mind that they will absolutely not be slammed into the ground is what creates that bold jump in the air.

In behavioral economics, there is a term called "loss aversion."

Humans are creatures that fear the "pain of losing something"—such as failing, getting scolded, or receiving a lower evaluation—more than twice as much as they value the "joy of being entrusted with something new."the pain of losing somethingcreatures.

For the current generation, who are surrounded by information and skilled at finding the shortest route, they fear "failure (loss)" even more.

What they were looking for wasn't the "instructions" themselves. They wanted a "guarantee that they wouldn't fail."

When I realized that, I reflected on my own management.

Perhaps I was simply pushing them into the void called "freedom" without even setting up a safety net.

What I really should have handed them, before saying "Do whatever you like," was a soft safety mat that said, "I won't let you get seriously hurt if you fall, so go ahead and give it your all."

Is what you are giving to others right now a safety net that allows them to leap out with confidence, or is it just "suspended freedom"?

How about you?