Stop playing whack-a-mole by delegating outcomes, not tasks

Executive overview

When a leader keeps offering suggestions that get rebuffed, they are doing someone else's job. The fix is not better suggestions — it is stopping, apologising, and handing the person a clear outcome to own.

Give people the number, not the method.

Recognising the pattern

• Whack-a-mole happens when a leader tries to solve a problem that belongs to someone on their team
• Each suggestion gets rejected because the other person is defending their own domain
• The root cause is treating a capable person as though they need rescuing

Breaking the cycle

• Apologise for doing their job and for implicitly treating them as incapable
• State the ultimate outcome you need — e.g. operating profit target, cash burn rate
• Hand them the number and ask them to figure out how to hit it
• Offer to brainstorm only if they ask

Locking it in

• Add the KPI to a visible dashboard — whiteboard, spreadsheet, or automated tool
• Include it in your regular meeting rhythm (weekly review, daily huddle)
• Let them define their own leading indicators to show they are on track