There is a subtle game played in every office. A subordinate sends a document to the boss with the subject line: “Please review.” This looks like “Collaboration.” It is actually Liability Transfer.
The Psychology of “Please Check This”
When you ask someone to check your work, you are doing two things:
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Outsourcing Quality Control: You are admitting you didn’t check it thoroughly yourself.
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Pre-empting Blame: If the boss says “OK,” and the client later screams, you can say: “But Boss, you approved it!”
This is the mindset of a Bureaucrat. A Bureaucrat’s goal is to survive. To survive, they must never be solely responsible for a failure.
The Sovereign Mindset: The Artist’s Signature
A Sovereign operates differently. When you finish a task, you do not ask for permission. You Sign It.
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“Here is the report. It is accurate. I am sending it to the client in 1 hour unless you object.”
This shifts the dynamic from “Please save me” to “I have handled this.”
The Protocol: Defy the Check
If you are a Manager, and an employee asks you to “just take a quick look,” Refuse.
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The Response: “I trust you. If you say it’s ready, send it. If it’s wrong, we will fix it together, but I am not your proofreader.”
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The Result: The employee panics. They go back and check the work 3 more times. They find the errors. They grow.
The “Bus Factor” of Approval
If every decision requires a “Check,” your organization moves at the speed of the bottleneck. By removing the safety net, you force the team to learn how to fly. Yes, they will crash once or twice. But eventually, they will become pilots, not passengers.
#DhandheKaFunda: If you are afraid to sign your name to your work, the work is not finished. Or you are in the wrong job.