Underneath Patton’s advice is an observation about human motivation: autonomy often increases engagement and problem-solving. Research on Self-Determination Theory argues that autonomy, competence, and relatedness are core psychological needs that drive intrinsic motivation (Deci & Ryan, 1985). When individuals feel trusted to choose methods, they are more likely to invest effort in making those methods work.
That trust also sharpens accountability. If someone merely follows a prescribed script, mistakes are easily attributed to the script. But when the method is theirs, learning becomes personal and performance tends to improve, not through pressure, but through ownership. [...]
