When "Figure It Out" Becomes "I'm Out"!
There's a phrase that echoes through countless offices, delivered with varying degrees of confidence by managers everywhere: "Just figure it out." On the surface, it sounds empowering, like a vote of confidence in your team's abilities. But there's a tipping point where empowerment transforms into abandonment, and your best people start figuring out their exit strategy instead.
The Illusion of Independence
We've romanticized the self-sufficient employee. The go-getter who needs minimal supervision, who thrives on challenges, who can navigate ambiguity with grace. And yes, these individuals exist and they're invaluable. But here's what we often miss: even the most capable professionals need guidance, support, and investment in their growth.
When the boss consistently default to "figure it out" as their primary development strategy, they're not building resilience—they're building resentment.
The Journey from Confusion to Conclusion
Watch what happens when someone literally or figuratively, repeatedly hears "figure it out"
The Honeymoon Phase They're energized by the autonomy. They feel trusted. They dive into problems with enthusiasm, proud to be given the space to solve things independently.
The Reality Check Questions arise that no AI can answer. They need context about company history, strategic direction, or political dynamics. "Figure it out" starts to feel less like empowerment and more like being set adrift or abandoned.
The Turning Point They've figured something out, all right. They’ve figured out that their boss either doesn't have time for them or doesn't know the answers either. They start questioning whether this is incompetence or indifference. HINT**Neither conclusion is good.
The Decision LinkedIn notifications get turned on. Coffee chats with former colleagues become more common. . They've figured out that their growth matters more than their current role will allow, and if the company won't invest in it, they'll find one, or create one, that will.
This could happen in weeks, months or years depending on the person.
What "Figuring It Out" Really Costs you
When talented employees leave because they've flatlined from being left to figure things out for too long, you lose more than just a team member:
Institutional knowledge walks out the door.
Team morale takes a hit as the remaining team members wonder if they're next.
Recruitment costs spike, typically 50-200% of the departing employee's salary. Why? Because it generally takes more than one person to fill the void.
Productivity drops during the 6-12 month ramp up period for their replacement.
Your reputation as an employer takes a subtle but real hit.
The Right Kind of Figuring Out
You absolutely want people who can solve problems independently. But you need to be intentional about what you’re asking them to figure out.
Yes, you want them to figure out:
Creative solutions to defined problems
How to navigate cross-functional relationships
Ways to improve existing processes
How to apply their skills to new challenges
Don't make them figure out:
What the company's priorities actually are
How to get resources to do their job
Whether their their personal development is a priority
If they have a future at your organization
Building a Development Culture That Retains Talent
The most successful organizations understand that people development isn't a nice-to-have, it's actually an imperative. Here's how to shift from a "figure it out" culture to one that develops and retains top talent:
Make Development Visible Share stories of how people have grown within your organization. Celebrate not just outcomes but learning journeys. Make it clear that investing time in development, both your own and others', is valued and rewarded.
Democratize Mentorship Not every development conversation needs to come from direct supervisors. Create opportunities for cross-functional mentorship, peer learning groups, skip level one-on-ones and reverse mentoring where junior employees share their burgeoning expertise with senior staff.
Document and Share Wisdom When someone successfully "figures something out," capture that learning. Host internal lunch-and-learns, maintain a company wiki, have quarterly learning recognitions. Transform individual struggles into organizational assets.
Measure What Matters Don’t just track performance metrics but identify development indicators.
How often are important development conversations really happening?
What percentage of roles have been filled internally?
How confident do employees feel in their growth trajectory in the organization?
What's your regrettable turnover rate?
Reflection
If you're reading this and feeling a little uncomfortable, good! That means you're the kind of person who cares enough to reflect and adjust. So, ask yourself:
When did I last have a meaningful development conversation with each of my team members?
How often do I default to "figure it out" when I could provide guidance or assistance?
What knowledge or context could I share that would help my team succeed?
Who is looking for more authority, but all I’m giving them is more responsibility?
Am I creating space for both autonomy AND support?
The Bottom Line
The phrase "figure it out" isn't inherently wrong. Independence, problem-solving, and resilience are crucial professional skills. But when "figure it out" becomes your primary supervisory style, you're not developing people, you're ultimately pushing them away.
Your best people will indeed figure it out. They'll figure out that growth happens where investment exists. They'll figure out that other organizations value developmental conversations. They'll figure out that their potential is worth more than your neglect.
And then they'll figure out how to update their resume and pack up their desk.
The question here isn't whether your people can figure things out on their own. The real question is whether you're giving them reasons to figure things out with you, for you, and at your organization. Because in today's talent market, the companies that figure out how to develop their people are the ones that get to keep them.
Ready to transform your approach to people development?
Let's talk about how to create a culture where autonomy and support work hand in hand to drive both individual growth and organizational success. Because when your people grow, your business grows, and everyone figures out they're exactly where they want to be.
