The action: When you delegate a task, make sure your staff have the same access to context and information as you have. You empower people by sharing information, not giving detailed instructions.

The long form: Former submarine commander David Marquet gives a couple of examples from his world to illustrate how information is better than instruction:

1. On a submarine, only one person can look through the periscope at a time. It then becomes crucial to convey that information to the team. Instead of having the captain observe, think to himself and bark out orders for what to do next, it is much better if he says what he sees. By sharing information the crew could make more informed decisions in line with the commander’s intent (f40). This is empowering, and encourages everyone in the organization to think.
2. In the military you learn to give a form of hand signals to help your driver reverse the car in tight spaces. What we would do differently is show with our hands how much space is left. So you don’t wave “keep going, keep going, stop!”, but you hold your hands apart by a meter if there is only one meter left. That way the driver is still in control of the car, and you are giving information and context.

There are two common errors in delegation: Micromanaging, and abandoning people to themselves. By not giving instruction you avoid micromanaging, since the driver is still in control of the car. And by giving context — and perhaps also asking good coaching questions (f40) and asking people what they intend to do (f40) — you are not abandoning your delegate with a seemingly hopeless task.