“Fire and forget” makes more damage if you don’t do these 2 steps before
3 steps to achieve productive "fire and forget" management style with your team.
There’s a common misconception that trust is granted by default. In reality, trust is built and earned, especially in a work environment—whether you're hiring a new team member or transitioning someone into a new role.
Many employees want trust immediately, and many managers hope for it as well. However, when trust isn’t properly established, the usual outcome is work that doesn’t meet “the right, expected standards,” often resulting in micromanagement.
To achieve effective “fire and forget” management, a process needs to unfold. Here’s a step-by-step approach to building trust and alignment:
Step 1: I identify the problem and solution, instruct you on how to solve it, and check your execution.
This stage helps you understand company standards, learn expectations, and see how I approach problems as a manager.
Step 2: I define the problem and the solution, but you handle the implementation and execution. I review your progress.
The goal here is to align our thinking and approach to decisions. We essentially teach each other about our thought processes, decision-making, and trade-offs. This stage often lasts the longest.
Step 3: I outline the problem; you determine the solution, implementation, and, if necessary, delegate tasks to others. This is the true “fire and forget” stage.
Jumping straight to the third level without establishing trust and alignment can often lead to failure.
As an employee, I consistently use this model with my managers, whether I’m transitioning to a new role within the same company or joining a new organization.