BIG BOSS, BIG DADDY

Your prize new hire comes to you and says, "Boss, I want to run this division in five years. What do I have to do to accomplish my goal?"

You lean back in your chair and summoning up your years of hard-earned, managerial wisdom you say, "In order to be a success in this business you must be a creative, innovative, risk-taking, participative leader who is flexible, knowledgeable, accountable, consensus-gaining, empowering, and one heck of a teamworker."

You go home that night quite satisfied with yourself.

After dinner your son presents you with his report card. Featured prominently is a big "D," and I don't mean Dallas.

You maintain your fragile composure; you're proud of yourself. You lean back in your chair and summoning up your years of hard earned parental wisdom you say, "You wouldn't get these grades if you would just concentrate and stay focused on what's important. You need to be more motivated, and you need to study more like I used to do when I was your age. Now go to your room and hit those books. You can do it; I have confidence in you.

Having set your employee and son on the right path, you go to bed feeling you have done quite well today.

You haven't done squat!

If people want different results, they need to DO something different. Neither your employee nor your son really know what to DO. For results to change, people need know what measurable and observable behaviors to perform, not be set adrift to sink in a verbal sea of traits, attributes and characteristics.

When you told your son to hit the books--with what, a bat or a loaf of stale French bread? When you tell your employee to be a flexible, risk-taker what will it look like if he is. Should he touch his toes in a crowded elevator?


Lesson: To change it's important to know what to be, but it's critical to know what to do.