Ingenuity Surprise
I saw this quote the other day and it got me thinking:
Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do and they will surprise you with their ingenuity.
-George S. Patton
At first I was nodding along with the idea that he was right, we should let people surprise us with how they would do something. I always enjoy giving someone a task and watching how they react and eventually how they get it done. At times I ask myself things like:
- Would they do it like I would?
- How organized are they to get it done?
- Is it done well, or just done?
- Is it going to be done on time?
- Are they struggling and not asking for help?
Now the interesting thing about this quote and these questions is this. Not everyone will surprise you with their ingenuity. It’s a confidence level at the very least that you need to consider. In my experience as a manager and growing leader people need the rules of the game for any project (don’t make the mistake and assume they will understand that the same rules of a previous project will apply to this project). Sometimes the employee may not comfortable enough in the situation to ask what they do not know. This will impact their ability to use their own ingenuity.
I have worked with people who have taken a project, made it their own, and at times met my expectations and at other times did not meet them. The difference between the two came when the person was comfortable enough asked me questions versus when they were not. When asked in the project wrap up why they did not ask questions the answer tends to be that they felt it would show badly on them and their abilities. While this is a learning curve for the person it is also a pivotal moment in your relationship with them being their leader.
A leader is someone who takes situations like this seriously. A leader will review not only their direct reports performance but their own personal missteps as well. Because a leader knows that if their employee fails at something they both fail. In my time in management I have learned a few things in regards to George Patton’s statement of “not telling people how to do things.” These things have greatly helped me help my employees learn to be comfortable enough to surprise me with their ingenuity.
While the above information is tailored more for a specific project, the same information applies to every day processes. It all starts with the relationship between the leader and the employee. The information provided in the 4 Imperatives of Great Leaders section of the site applies here as a start to a good foundation.
What would a leader do?
~ Let them know you do not want to tell them how to do it, but also advise them that they can come to you with questions at any time.
~ Set check in dates. Not only is this good project management but it’s also a good support system to find out early if there are any troubles.
~ Let them know you want their point of view on how to do an assignment or a task. Giving them the green light only on to be creative will increase the likelihood of the employee using their ingenuity.
~ Visit my store directly here and see a selection of resources on this week’s article.
