From needing reassurance to trusting her judgement

What was keeping Hannah stuck?

Hannah had recently joined the organisation as an early-career employee. She was enthusiastic, conscientious and genuinely wanted to do a good job.

During her first few months, she regularly asked her manager questions before completing tasks because she wanted to make sure she was doing things correctly. Her manager became increasingly frustrated, interpreting the constant questions as a lack of initiative and confidence.

The more uncertain Hannah felt, the more questions she asked. The more questions she asked, the less confidence her manager had in her ability to work independently.

Both left conversations feeling frustrated, despite sharing exactly the same goal: for Hannah to succeed.

What did Hannah discover about herself?

Together, we explored where Hannah's approach had come from.

She recognised that throughout school and university she had been rewarded for following instructions carefully, checking expectations and making sure she got things "right" before submitting work.

In her new role, however, many expectations had never been made explicit. Her manager expected her to use her judgement, make decisions and ask fewer questions, while Hannah was trying hard to avoid making mistakes.

Once Hannah understood the difference between educational expectations and workplace expectations, everything started to make sense.

We also identified Hannah's strengths, helping her recognise that her conscientiousness, attention to detail and willingness to learn were valuable qualities. Rather than asking fewer questions, she learned how to ask better questions, at the right time, while gradually building confidence in making decisions independently.

At the same time, her manager gained a clearer understanding of how Hannah was interpreting the role, leading to more explicit conversations about expectations and greater trust on both sides.

What became possible because of that?

As communication improved, Hannah became increasingly confident in using her own judgement.

She no longer felt she had to seek reassurance before every decision because she had a much clearer understanding of what success looked like and where she had the autonomy to make decisions.

By her six-month review, Hannah was exceeding expectations. Her manager recognised her as a thoughtful, proactive and dependable member of the team, while Hannah felt confident that she could contribute independently without losing the conscientiousness that had always been one of her greatest strengths.