Sometimes when I say to managers, "You need to tell people what to do and tell them how to do it," sometimes those managers will say to me, "Well I thought we were supposed to tell people what to do... but DON'T tell them how to do it."

Somewhere along the line it became conventional wisdom that we should tell people what to do but DON'T tell them how to do it. That always makes me wonder, "Are they supposed to guess?"

You see: It's simply a fallacy that a good way to learn how to do things right is to practice doing things wrong. That's simply not true.

Now it might be that the single most effective pedagogy would be if you could follow someone around, watch him about to take action, catch him in the act of making a mistake, and then explain to him exactly what went wrong and what he should have done instead. But: How often are you following them around?

You see: It's just not true that rehearsing wrong ways of doing things over and over again is a good way to learn how to do things right. The way to learn how to do things right is to rehearse doing things right.

Think about anything you're good at. How do you get better at it? By practicing doing it wrong? Or by practicing doing it right? Think about anything you're good at. When you get rusty, do you try and make up a new way of doing it? Or do you go back to the basics and practice the basics over and over again?

The way to learn how to do things right is to practice doing things right. Sometimes managers will say to me, "Well I like to let people learn from their own mistakes." And I like to say, "Well how cruel of you... Because why wouldn't you help them avoid those mistakes if you could. And, really? Does your business have the extra resources for people to be making unnecessary mistakes?"

BONUS MANAGEMENT BEST PRACTICE
If you are managing any employees at work WITHOUT direct authority you need to create a basis for accountability with each of those employees based on influence. Make a list of all the employees you need to manage WITHOUT direct authority. Next to each name answer the following questions:
- How can you use interpersonal influence with this person? How can you keep the focus on concrete actions within the control of this individual?
- How can you use persuasion with this person? What good reasons can you give?
- How can you use transactional influence? Can you make short-term agreements for exchanging deliverables?
- How can you deputize yourself? Can you invoke the authority of someone else OR document the transactions?

Prepare for your next one-on-one conversation with each person, one by one.
- Start with a vivid statement of clear expectations.
- Keep the focus on concrete actions within the control of this person.
- Give good reasons.
- Make an agreement.
- Keep track in writing and cc this person's REAL boss.