Are you asking people to do the work for you?

Are you asking people to do the work for you? Or are you bringing a casserole?

A few years ago, when our family was going through a hard time, some friends called, some sent food, some showed up. And some texted: "Let me know if there's anything I can do."

Those texts came from genuine care. But I didn't have the brain space to figure out what I needed, let alone what that specific person could offer.

I talked about this recently with a client, we'll call him Dan. Senior executive at a SaaS startup, wanting to build more visibility with the CEO. In a recent meeting, he reminded the CEO about his expertise and said he'd love to help “however he was needed” during the coming transition.

Well-intentioned. But it put the work on the CEO to figure out how to use Dan.

What if Dan had shown up with a casserole instead — a specific offer he'd already thought through?

The CEO might not want it. But having a concrete option beats having none. And Dan looks like someone who thinks ahead, not someone waiting to be assigned.

This comes up more than you'd think. Smart, capable leaders who want to contribute, but frame it in a way that accidentally makes it their boss's job to figure out how.

The fix isn't complex. We just have to get specific (and make a casserole 😉).

Have you ever received a 'let me know how I can help' and somehow felt entirely un-helped?

Image: me with apple pie from my husband's birthday, which is not casserole, but is delicious. 😀