By Dave Anderson
www.learntolead.com
© 2006
From the time we begin to crawl, others begin
to build boundaries around our lives: "don't go over there,"
"don't touch that," "you can't do that!" and
the like. As we grow older, the "no" message becomes
more subtle, but continues nonetheless. We hear catch phrases
like: "it must be nice," "some folks get all the
breaks," and "that's how the other half lives."
Is it any wonder that by the time most people
enter the workplace they've become conditioned to believe that
greatness is for someone else? Unfortunately, many leaders aren't
much help here. They use their experience to douse the dreams
of other. Rather than stoke the flames of followers, they soak
their flames with pessimism and "practical" advice designed
to bring the dreamer down to earth with advice like: "let
me tell you why that won't work," or "that's never going
to happen in this place," or the ubiquitous, "get real"!
While sometimes it makes sense to give others
the benefit of your experience, your intentions backfire when
you shrink the thinking of the dreamers on your team in an effort
to make them practical. Psychologists say that too much realism
is cause for depression. I agree with them.
Here are some suggested ways you help draw out
the dreams of others, rather than bury them alive:
1. If what the person is saying is impractical,
help them come to that conclusion on their own with a handful
of questions:
*How would you implement that?
*How long would it take?
*Would the payoff be worth the price?
*What do you think the obstacles are?
* How would you overcome them?
2. If the idea does have merit, don't get hung
up by the fact that you don't have all the answers. With a strong
enough passion, the how will come. Instead of creaming the dream
because every angle isn't figured out, help the visionary devise
a strategy to turn it into a reality.
3. Even if the first two or three ideas someone
brings you may not be worth much, don't dismiss them. If you do,
you'll never get the homerun, because while your people will still
bring their hands to work for a paycheck, they'll leave their
heads and hearts at the door.
4. Create an environment at work that says every
idea is a good idea, until you find the best idea. Don't fire
hose team members and punish those who actually think for themselves,
even if their original thoughts aren't feasible.
If you punish those who dream -- who dare to
speak out and challenge the status quo -- you'll breed a team
of timid mice who contribute very little. On the other hand, if
you encourage new ideas, you'll help bring out the best your people
have to offer.
Credit:
Dave Anderson is the author of: If You Don't
Make Waves You'll Drown: 10 Hard-Charging Strategies for Leading
in Politically Correct Times (Wiley, October 2005). He's a speaker
and trainer with management expertise who earned his business
reputation by leading top national car dealerships to sales of
$300,000,000. For more go to: www.learntolead.com.
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