WHAT APPEARS TO BE
When conducting sessions we ask, “What percentage of workers, while doing their job, understand why their work is important?” (Quick: before reading any further, make your own educated guess.) The answers we are provided always fall between thirty and fifty percent.
Holy cow.
WHAT MIGHT BE
What is the cost when people show up for work, begin their routines, and attempt to execute their plans, while not understanding why what they are doing is important?
Can one deduce that if the numbers above are accurate that there are a lot of bosses (formerly known as leaders) who are assuming people will logically figure out why their job is important? This sort of leadership is unsafe: it leaves results to chance, and generates frustration for all parties.
My dad once said, “Don’t assume anything. You’ll make an a-s-s out of u and me.”
WHAT CAN BE
Create clarity — and stronger results and relationships — right now by adding the following statements to your personal lexicon:
It is very important to me that ___________ happen, and here’s why: ___________.
It is necessary that (this) happen because ____________.
Please complete (this). When you do, it will __________.
If you want to go from good to great, add these questions to the above statements:
Why do you think this is important?
From your experience, why is (this) necessary?
What are the greatest results we’ll achieve with the completion of (this)?
It’s not the job of those around us to guess; it’s our job to be clear.
What is the difference between what “might be” and what “can be”? You decide.
