Latest / New Manager Conversations with Fexingo: First 90 Days, Managing Former Peers, and Leadership Basics / How New Managers Can Give Clear Instructions Without Micromanaging
Transcript
- Lucas: So you've been a manager for maybe three months now. You're past the initial chaos of figuring out who does what. But you've started noticing a pattern: sometimes your team delivers something close to what you wanted, and sometimes they're way off. And you're not sure if the problem is them or you. Luna: And often it is you. I've been there. I'd give someone a task and think I was being crystal clear, but they'd come back with something totally different. My first instinct was to hover more. But that felt gross. Lucas: Yeah, the instinct to micromanage comes from a good place — you want quality, you don't want to waste time. But it backfires. So what's the alternative? There's a really practical tool from the software world called a 'task brief.' It's not a new idea, but Basecamp — the project management company — codified it in a way that works for any role. Luna: I remember reading about that. They basically say every assignment should include five elements, right? Lucas: Exactly. Context, desired outcome, constraints, resources, and a check-in cadence. Let's walk through a real example. Say you're a marketing manager and you need a competitive analysis report. You've got a team member who's smart but maybe new to the industry. The instinct is to say, 'Go analyze our top three competitors and give me a report by Friday.' That's too vague. Luna: Totally. They might spend the whole week on the wrong competitors or the wrong metrics. And then you're both frustrated. Lucas: Right. So instead, you write a brief. First, context: 'We're considering a pricing change for our premium tier. The board wants to see how our competitors structure their pricing and what features they bundle. This report will inform that decision.' Now they know why they're doing it. Luna: That's huge. Without context, they're working in a vacuum. They might not even know what 'competitive analysis' means to you. Lucas: Second, desired outcome. This is where you get specific about what success looks like. Not just 'a report,' but 'a one-page summary with three columns: competitor name, pricing model, and key bundle features. Include a recommendation section with pros and cons for each approach.' Luna: So you're defining the deliverable. That removes a ton of ambiguity. But doesn't it also limit their creativity? Like, what if they come up with a better format? Lucas: Great question. That's where constraints come in. Constraints are the guardrails. For example, 'Spend no more than six hours total on this. Use only publicly available information — no paying for reports. And the recommendation section is non-negotiable, but you can choose the format if you want.' That gives them freedom within a frame. Luna: I like that. So you're not telling them exactly how to do it, but you're preventing scope creep and wasted effort. Lucas: Exactly. Fourth, resources. This is where you point them to the tools and people they can use. 'Here's the login for Statista. John in sales has a spreadsheet with competitor pricing from last quarter. Here's a template from a similar analysis we did in 2024.' That saves them time hunting for things. Luna: And it also signals, 'I've thought about this, and I want you to succeed.' That builds trust. Lucas: Finally, check-in cadence. You don't want to micromanage, but you also don't want to be surprised on Friday. So you set a light touch: 'Send me a quick Slack on Wednesday with your initial findings — three bullet points. If you get stuck earlier, ping me.' That way you're not checking every day, but you're still in the loop. Luna: I think that's the sweet spot. It gives them autonomy but also a safety net. So now you've got a brief that's maybe ten sentences. How long does it take to write? Lucas: For a recurring task, maybe two minutes once you get the hang of it. For a complex project, maybe ten. Compare that to the time you'd waste redoing the work or having a tense feedback session. It's a huge return on investment. Luna: But I want to push back on one thing. Some managers might say, 'I don't have time to write a brief for every little thing. My team is experienced, they should know what to do.' Lucas: Fair point. And I'm not saying you need a formal brief for 'please update the Q3 figures in the deck.' That's a one-sentence task. But for anything that takes more than a couple of hours or has strategic implications, the brief pays for itself. And for experienced team members, you can abbreviate it — maybe just context and desired outcome. They already know the constraints and resources. Luna: So it scales. I also like that it forces you as a manager to clarify your own thinking. If you can't write down the desired outcome in a few sentences, you probably don't know what you want. Lucas: Exactly. That's the hidden benefit. You become a better thinker by writing better briefs. And your team learns to do the same when they're assigning work to others or even to themselves. Luna: It's like a forcing function for clarity. I wish I had known this in my first management role. I had a team member who kept delivering analysis that was too high-level, and I'd get frustrated. But looking back, I never gave him a good brief. Lucas: And he probably thought you were being unclear. That's the classic mutual frustration. The brief is a simple fix. There's one more thing I'd add: before you send any assignment, ask yourself one question. Luna: What's that? Lucas: 'Would I know where to start if I received this?' If the answer is no, you're not done. That question alone would save managers — and their teams — a ton of rework. Luna: That's a great litmus test. And it's honest. Because sometimes you're rushing and you think you've been clear, but you haven't. Lucas: Right. And look, we're talking about this because it's practical and it works. And honestly, it's the kind of thing that makes a big difference in the first 90 days as a manager. If we've helped you think through a tough career move or a management challenge, you might want to know that listener support is what keeps these episodes ad-free and focused on real substance. A couple of dollars a month genuinely makes a difference. It's buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. Luna: Yeah, it's a small way to make sure we keep digging into these topics. And it's totally optional — we'll keep making the show either way. Lucas: Back to the brief: one thing I see new managers struggle with is overcorrecting. They hear 'don't micromanage' and they swing to the other extreme — giving almost no direction. That's just as bad. The brief is the middle path. Luna: So it's not about being hands-off or hands-on. It's about being hands-on upfront and then stepping back. That's a useful reframe. Lucas: Exactly. Invest the time upfront, then trust the process. And if you're managing someone who's very senior, you can even co-create the brief with them. Say, 'Here's what I think the context is and what I want. What am I missing?' That turns it into a collaboration. Luna: That also models good behavior. They'll start writing briefs for their own team members. It cascades. Lucas: And it builds a culture of clarity. Which is one of the most underrated things a new manager can create. So try it this week. Pick one task you're about to assign, write a brief with those five elements, and see what happens. Luna: I'm going to try it too. Even for my own personal projects, actually. Writing down the desired outcome and constraints — it's like a personal task brief. Lucas: That's a great idea. Because the brief isn't just for delegation. It's for any time you want to make sure you're clear on what you're doing and why. That's the core of good management.