006 Don’t tell them how – tell them why
“What if you just explain your thoughts to your employee?”
So today the title of the episode is “Don’t tell them what to do.” “Them,” are your employees or direct subordinates. Let’s start with what I usually see. There is an employee who is doing something such as a presentation or important task. The manager has explained what needs to be done. The employee then delivers the presentation. Unfortunately, the manager becomes frustrated because he receives a page that explains the process he required. However, the format is not what the manager wanted. The letters could be too small, or the template could be different than the usual company-approved design. The manager then explains to the employee specifically what needs to be done. The end result is that the manager assumes that they should have just done the presentation instead of delegating it!
“Don’t tell them what to do, tell them why!”
Most managers are very good at teaching employees about WHAT they need to be done. The secret is to tell the employs WHY something must be done. To continue the example of a presentation: tell the employee WHY the presentation must be designed a certain way. For instance, tell them the target audience, the amount of time available and what message you are trying to convey. This way, the employee comes up with a proposal for the presentation as well as any questions that he may have. Now the employee is growing and learning! The more room for creativity you leave, the more you are able to see your employees thrive. Challenge them and see them overcome and adapt. Your aim should be to hire professionals that are better in their fields than you are. Tell them what to achieve: what are the goals or visions of the assignment or project. This method of WHY and not WHAT tends to yield more results in the long-term and ensures that your team runs smoothly. Help your employees to create better and better results!
Stay in lead!
OLAF KAPINSKI 
Transcript
0:24">Good 0:25">morning, g0:25">ood 0:25">afternoon, good e0:25">vening! 0:26">Hello 0:26">and 0:27">all, 0:27">come 0:27">back to the Live It, Lead It 0:28">podcast. 0:29">It’s 0:29">me 0:29">again, Olaf Kapinski 0:29">from the g0:32">reen field.
0:32">I 0:33">walked 0:33">the 0:33">dog 0:34">again 0:35">and 0:35">his 0:36">name is Albert, as a 0:37">little 0:37">reference 0:38">to 0:38">Mr. 0:39">Einstein. 0:42">I 0:42">still see that 0:43">there 0:43">is 0:43">a 0:43">little 0:43">intelligence gap 0:44">between 0:44">Mr. 0:45">Einstein 0:45">and t0:46">his furry person0:46">.
0:47">Whatever. 0:47">If 0:48">you 0:48">have 0:48">a 0:48">dog, 0:48">I 0:48">think 0:49">I will 0:49">just 0:49">put 0:50">a 0:50">picture 0:50">of 0:51">him 0:51">in 0:51">the 0:51">show 0:51">notes, 0:51">which 0:51">you 0:52">can 0:52">find on LiveItleadit.com 0:53">so 0:54">that 0:54">you 0:55">know 0:56">what 0:56">I’m 0:56">talking 0:56">about. 0:56">So 0:58">don’t 0:58">tell 0:59">them 0:59">what 0:59">to 0:59">do i0:59">s 1:00">the 1:00">title 1:00">of 1:00">the episode. “Them,” a1:03">re 1:03">your 1:04">employees 1:04">or 1:04">direct subordinates?
1:07">Let’s 1:09">start with 1:10">what 1:10">I 1:10">see 1:11">everywhere.
1:12">Here’s an 1:13">employee who is 1:13">doing 1:14">something. It could be a pr1:14">esentation, 1:15">task, or 1:15">whatever. T1:17">he 1:17">manager 1:17">is 1:17">explaining 1:18">how 1:19">it 1:19">needs 1:19">to 1:19">be 1:19">done.
1:21">So 1:21">let’s 1:21">take 1:21">a 1:22">very 1:22">easy 1:22">example, 1:22">which 1:22">is 1:23">a 1:23">presentation. 1:23">I 1:24">asked 1:24">my 1:24">employee that 1:25">I 1:26">need 1:26">this 1:27">process 1:28">in 1:28">a 1:29">presentation. 1:30">And 1:30">this 1:30">person 1:31">then 1:31">delivers 1:33">the 1:34">presentation.
1:34">So 1:35">here is this boss 1:35">who gave 1:37">this 1:37">person a task.
1:37">And 1:38">here 1:38">is 1:38">his 1:38">employees 1:39">who 1:39">delivered 1:39">it.
1:40">And 1:40">the boss 1:40">gets 1:41">upset 1:41">because 1:42">he 1:42">receives 1:43">one 1:43">page 1:44">in 1:45">Power1:45">Point 1:46">where 1:47">this 1:47">to-1:47">be-1:47">explained 1:48">processes is 1:48">on.
1:49">There 1:49">is 1:50">not 1:50">a 1:50">letter 1:51">that 1:51">is 1:51">bigger 1:52">than 1:52">16 1:52">points. 1:53">It’s 1:53">quite 1:53">small. 1:54">It’s 1:54">extremely 1:55">precise, 1:55">and 1:56">everything 1:56">is 1:56">on 1:57">everything.
1:57">And 1:58">then 1:58">this manager becomes 2:00">upset 2:01">and 2:01">explains that 2:04">the 2:04">employees 2:07">has 2:07">to 2:07">do 2:07">this 2:08">in 2:08">three 2:08">pages 2:09">and 2:09">the 2:09">letters 2:10">have 2:10">to 2:10">be 2:10">bigger.
2:11">And, 2:13">the 2:13">colors 2:13">need 2:14">to 2:14">be 2:14">the 2:14">corporate 2:14">standard 2:15">colors.
2:15">Okay, 2:16">so, the e2:17">mployee 2:18">goes, w2:18">ait, and 2:19">does 2:19">the 2:19">same 2:19">thing 2:19">again.
2:22">You 2:23">know 2:23">how 2:23">this 2:23">ends.
2:24">It 2:25">ends 2:25">with 2:26">the 2:26">boss thinking “2:27">Oh, 2:27">my 2:27">God, why do I 2:28">delegate? 2:28">I 2:28">could 2:29">have 2:29">done 2:29">this by myself and it 2:30">would 2:30">have 2:30">been 2:30">much 2:30">faster.”
S2:32">o 2:33">let’s 2:33">take this as an example. W2:35">e 2:35">are 2:35">very, 2:36">very 2:36">good 2:36">and 2:36">teaching 2:37">our 2:37">employees that 2:38">if 2:38">you 2:39">have 2:39">a 2:39">presentation then 2:40">don’t 2:40">go below 2:42">18 2:42">pixels 2:43">and 2:43">you 2:43">have 2:43">to use the corporate 2:43">temple and 2:45">all 2:45">of 2:46">this.
2:51">Don’t 2:51">do 2:51">this. 2:53">Tell 2:53">them 2:53">what?
2:55">I’m 2:56">not 2:56">the 2:56">inventor 2:56">of2:56"> “w2:56">hy” 2:57">This 2:57">is 2:58">Simon 2:58">Sinek3:00">.
3:02">But 3:02">I’m 3:03">a 3:03">big 3:03">user 3:04">off 3:04">why. S3:05">o 3:06">if 3:07">you 3:08">are 3:08">in 3:08">this 3:08">position 3:09">that 3:09">you 3:09">have 3:10">a 3:10">presentation 3:11">and 3:11">you 3:12">want 3:12">to 3:12">delegate 3:12">this 3:13">to 3:13">an 3:13">employee, of yours.
3:15">Maybe 3:16">this 3:16">is 3:16">a 3:16">new 3:16">thought 3:16">because 3:17">you’ve 3:17">given 3:17">up 3:17">and you’re 3:18">doing 3:18">all 3:18">your 3:18">presentations 3:19">by 3:19">yourself 3:19">because 3:20">you’re 3:20">the 3:20">only one in 3:20">the 3:20">company 3:21">and 3:21">your 3:21">employees 3:22">are 3:22">just 3:22">delivering 3:23">crappy 3:24">presentations.
3:25">Then 3:25">get 3:25">short 3:26">and 3:26">tell 3:27">them 3:28">what 3:29">they 3:29">got 3:30">to 3:30">do. W3:30">hat 3:31">they 3:31">gotta 3:31">do m3:31">eans “O3:32">kay, 3:32">I 3:32">need 3:33">this 3:33">presentation. 3:34">This,3:34">that, and 3:34">the 3:34">other 3:35">is 3:35">on 3:35">it.
3:36">The 3:36">audience, 3:36">this 3:37">is 3:37">set 3:37">up 3:37">that 3:37">I’m 3:38">expecting.” S3:38">et 3:39">up 3:39">means 3:39">it’s 3:39">a 3:39">different 3:40">if 3:40">you 3:40">need 3:40">a 3:40">presentation 3:41">to 3:41">be 3:41">on 3:41">a 3:41">desktop 3:42">or 3:42">to 3:43">be 3:43">seen 3:43">onstage.
3:49">“This 3:49">is 3:49">my 3:50">audience. 3:50">This 3:50">is 3:51">what 3:51">this 3:51">audience 3:51">already 3:52">know. 3:52">This 3:53">is 3:53">what 3:53">I 3:53">want 3:53">to 3:53">transport.
3:56">Does 3:56">that 3:56">make 3:56">sense em3:57">ployee?” A3:59">nd 3:59">the 3:59">employee 3:59">says, “4:00">Oh, 4:00">yeah. 4:00">In 4:00">a 4:01">way, 4:01">I 4:01">have 4:01">this, that, and 4:01">the 4:02">other question.” 4:03">Then 4:03">he 4:03">did 4:03">the 4:03">questions.
4:04">And 4:04">then 4:05">he 4:05">comes 4:05">up 4:05">with 4:06">a 4:06">proposal for 4:07">the 4:07">presentation. T4:08">his 4:08">is 4:08">my 4:08">experience. 4:09">He 4:09">comes 4:10">up 4:11">next 4:11">day 4:11">with 4:11">a 4:12">lot 4:12">of 4:12">questions.
4:13">“I 4:13">understand 4:14">what 4:14">I 4:14">got 4:14">to 4:14">do. 4:15">I’ve 4:15">done 4:15">this 4:15">one. 4:15">I’ve 4:16">used 4:16">the 4:16">company 4:16">template. 4:17">Obviously, 4:18">I 4:19">have 4:19">this and here is 4:21">question 4:21">one, two, three and four.”
4:25">This is how 4:26">learning 4:26">works. N4:28">ow, the employee 4:29">is 4:29">growing.
4:31">Now 4:31">this 4:31">employee 4:31">is 4:32">learning 4:33">how 4:33">you 4:33">take 4:33">what’s 4:34">important 4:34">for 4:34">you and w4:34">hat’s 4:34">not. 4:36">This 4:36">employee 4:38">delivers a 4:38">presentation.
Finally! T4:42">hen 4:42">you 4:42">have 4:43">two 4:44">things 4:44">that 4:44">you 4:44">don’t 4:44">like about 4:45">the 4:45">presentation.
4:47">Now 4:47">you’re 4:47">again 4:48">not 4:48">talking 4:49">about 4:49">what 4:51">you 4:51">want 4:51">to 4:52">have 4:52">changed.
4:53">You 4:53">talk 4:54">about 4:54">the “4:55">why” 4:55">of 4:55">the 4:55">presentation.
So, an 4:57">example: t5:00">here 5:00">is 5:00">no 5:01">starting 5:01">slide 5:01">on 5:01">it. 5:02">So 5:02">the 5:02">employee 5:03">just 5:03">started right 5:04">into 5:04">this. A5:10">nd 5:10">you k5:11">now 5:11">this will be a 5:12">presentation 5:13">which 5:13">you 5:13">will 5:13">be 5:14">holding i5:15">n 5:15">front 5:15">of 5:16">the 5:16">board, 5:16">for 5:16">example. 5:17">And 5:18">you 5:18">want 5:19">to 5:20">make 5:20">sure 5:21">that 5:22">the 5:22">people 5:22">of 5:22">the 5:23">board, 5:25">your 5:25">bosses and their bosses 5:27">remember 5:27">your 5:27">name.
5:48">Now 5:48">you 5:48">can go two things 5:49">again. 5:50">What 5:51">everybody 5:51">is 5:51">doing 5:52">is “O5:52">h, 5:53">employee! 5:53">You 5:54">messed 5:54">it 5:54">up.
6:11">Don’t 6:12">tell 6:12">them 6:12">what 6:12">to 6:12">do6:12">! 6:12">Tell 6:13">him 6:13">why. “6:14">I 6:14">have 6:15">the 6:15">chance 6:16">to 6:16">speak 6:16">in 6:16">front 6:17">of 6:17">the 6:17">board.
6:17">And 6:17">I 6:18">want 6:18">to 6:18">make 6:18">sure 6:18">that they 6:19">don’t 6:20">miss 6:21">my 6:21">name.”
6:22">So 6:23">maybe 6:23">the 6:23">employee 6:24">comes 6:24">up 6:24">with, “6:25">Hey, 6:26">boss, 6:26">I’ve 6:26">made 6:26">you 6:26">this start slide6:28">.
6:28">I 6:28">was 6:29">playing 6:29">around 6:29">with 6:30">your 6:30">name 6:30">on 6:30">it, 6:30">but 6:31">it 6:31">looked 6:31">a 6:31">bit 6:31">too 6:31">catchy. 6:32">So6:32">, 6:33">I’ve 6:33">made 6:33">this 6:33">a 6:33">bit 6:35">smaller, 6:36">and 6:36">I’ve 6:37">made 6:37">this 6:37">in 6:37">a 6:37">way 6:38">that 6:38">it 6:38">doesn’t 6:38">stick 6:39">out 6:40">but 6:41">it’s 6:41">already 6:41">visible.
6:43">Additionally, 6:44">I 6:44">changed 6:45">the 6:45">copyright 6:46">section 6:46">of 6:47">our 6:47">corporate 6:47">designs 6:48">to 6:48">your 6:49">name.
6:49">So 6:50">which6:50">ever 6:50">slide yo6:51">u 6:51">have 6:51">open, y6:52">our 6:52">name 6:52">is 6:53">visible on the 6:53">bottom 6:54">left 6:54">side, 6:54">and 6:55">I’ve 6:55">adjusted 6:55">the 6:55">color 6:56">a 6:56">little 6:56">bit s6:56">o 6:57">they 6:57">will 6:57">see 6:58">it.
6:59">I 6:59">have 7:00">your 7:02">put 7:02">on 7:02">the 7:02">last 7:03">slide, 7:03">which 7:03">is the ‘7:04">Do 7:04">you 7:04">have 7:04">any 7:04">further 7:05">questions?’ slide.
7:07">Is 7:07">that 7:07">cool 7:07">with 7:07">you?” 7:08">Oh, 7:08">yeah it is! T7:12">his 7:12">is 7:12">about 7:12">delegation. 7:13">Don’t tell them what 7:14">to 7:14">do.
7:14">Tell 7:14">them 7:15">why. Y7:15">ou 7:16">are 7:16">not 7:16">hiring 7:18">completely idiots, Y7:19">ou 7:19">have 7:19">hired 7:19">professionals!
7:20">If 7:21">you 7:21">work 7:21">together 7:21">with 7:22">professionals, 7:23">then 7:23">don’t 7:23">tell 7:23">them 7:23">what 7:23">to 7:24">do. 7:24">By 7:25">definition, 7:30">your 7:30">employees 7:31">must 7:31">be 7:31">better 7:32">in 7:32">their 7:32">profession 7:33">than 7:33">you 7:33">are. Why?
7:37">And 7:37">if 7:37">they’re 7:38">better 7:38">than 7:38">you, 7:38">why 7:39">do 7:39">you 7:39">tell 7:39">them 7:39">what 7:39">to 7:40">do? 7:40">So 7:40">tell 7:41">them 7:42">why 7:42">they 7:42">got 7:42">to 7:42">do 7:43">this. 7:43">Tell 7:43">them what 7:43">to 7:44">achieve. 7:44">We’re 7:44">talking 7:44">about 7:44">goals n7:45">ow, 7:45">we’re 7:45">talking 7:45">about vision.
7:46">We’re 7:46">talking 7:46">about 7:47">ideas! W7:47">e’re 7:48">talking 7:48">about ‘w7:49">hat 7:49">do 7:49">you 7:49">really 7:50">want 7:50">to 7:50">achieve?” 7:52">Leave 7:52">the 7:52">how 7:53">they 7:53">achieve 7:53">it 7:54">with 7:54">them 7:55">completely.
7:57">So 7:57">that’s 7:58">the 7:59">a 7:59">little 7:59">inspiration episode 8:01">from 8:01">me. 8:02">So 8:02">if 8:02">you 8:03">like8:04">, 8:04">write 8:05">me [email protected].
8:08">Let’s 8:08">see 8:08">if 8:09">we 8:09">are 8:09">on 8:09">track 8:09">with 8:09">this 8:10">podcast, 8:11">how 8:11">this 8:11">goes 8:12">with 8:12">you? Is t8:12">his 8:13">is 8:13">the 8:13">right set 8:13">up, if 8:15">you’re 8:15">okay 8:16">with 8:16">me 8:16">running 8:17">around 8:17">here 8:17">and 8:18">sharing 8:18">inspiration 8:19">with 8:19">you. Or, on the other hand, i8:19">f 8:19">you 8:19">say “N8:19">o8:19">, I 8:20">need 8:20">a 8:20">highly 8:20">polished episode 8:21">from 8:22">the 8:22">recording 8:22">studio a8:23">nd it 8:23">needs 8:23">to 8:23">be 8:23">scripted.” 8:27">I’m 8:27">not 8:27">sure 8:27">if 8:27">I will 8:29">i8:30">ntroduce 8:31">all 8:31">the 8:31">changes 8:31">that 8:32">are 8:33">asked, 8:33">but let’s 8:34">get into a 8:34">discussion 8:34">because 8:35">I 8:35">don’t 8:36">do 8:36">this 8:36">podcast 8:36">for 8:36">myself. 8:37">I 8:38">do 8:38">this 8:38">podcast 8:38">for 8:39">you 8:39">or 8:39">to 8:39">inspire 8:40">you 8:40">as 8:41">a 8:41">successful 8:41">leader 8:42">in 8:42">IT 8:42">in 8:42">Europe.
8:44">I 8:44">want 8:44">to 8:44">help 8:44">you 8:44">get 8:45">better! 8:45">I 8:45">want 8:45">to 8:45">help 8:46">you 8:46">to 8:46">create 8:47">better 8:47">and 8:48">better 8:48">results.
8:48">And 8:49">I 8:49">want us both to 8:50">have 8:50">fun. 8:53">Okay, 8:54">So 8:54">have 8:55">a 8:55">good 8:55">one. Olaf, bye!
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