Supporting — step back on direction, stay high on support

For the capable-but-cautious performer, lighten the instructions and bolster their confidence.

Why it works

Someone who has the skill but doubts themselves doesn’t need more telling — that can read as distrust and erode the very confidence that’s the bottleneck. Reducing direction while staying supportive transfers ownership and lets competence translate into confidence through successful, self-directed reps.

How to do it

1. Ask for their proposed approach rather than supplying yours.
2. Express explicit confidence in their judgment and back them when they decide.
3. Be available for support without inserting yourself into the execution.

Evidence

Autonomy support building confidence is well grounded in self-determination and self-efficacy research. The model’s contribution is the prescription to drop direction specifically at this stage, which is not separately validated. (mechanistic)

The underlying autonomy/efficacy mechanisms are solid; the precise S3 prescription is the unvalidated overlay.

Sources

• Deci & Ryan, self-determination theory (autonomy support); Bandura, self-efficacy

Common mistake

Continuing to direct a competent person "to be safe," which signals you don’t trust them and keeps their confidence stuck.