One of the most powerful words in the English language is why. When asked as an interrogatory, why has the power to change assumptions, preconceptions and mindsets. It has the power to initiate change as well as the power to affirm the right course. It is a word that should be used frequently but with great care. When used the proper way, it can be one of the most effective tools a leader can employ. And it's totally free.
Why is a word favored by those not satisfied with the way things are. These individuals tend to be inventors, entrepreneurs, scientists, social capitalists and politicians. By nature, they are catalysts. Inventors and entrepreneurs wonder about alternatives using why to provoke thought about what might be and try and quantify it as a product or service. Scientists use why as part of the scientific method that begins with a hypothesis and ends with proof. Engineers use why as a means of diagnosis: what happens and why. Social capitalists and politicians alike use why to question assumptions about the way organizations and governments serve their constituents. For all of these types of people, why becomes the trigger word for invoking alternatives as well as beginning the process of bringing people along to alternate points of view.
Why is a powerful tool for a leader to use but it should be used with discretion. Overuse can lead to unpleasant consequences. For example, the manager who always asks why to any request or any issue risks trivializing the power of the word itself (as well as becoming extremely annoying). Too many whys will turn people off; they will feel that they are being questioned rather than their ideas. As a result, they will cease communicating to the manager, effectively cutting him or her off from information as well as relations with the team, a disastrous situation for any manager.
Source: Darwin Magazine
Subject: Leadership, Thought, Analysis
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