TELL ME WHAT IS, NOT WHAT YOU THINK WHAT IS

"Opinions are a private matter. The public has an interest only in judgments."

Walter Benjamin (1892-1940) German philosopher

We want answers. 

Moreover the "public" is not an anonymous collection of "other" people; it's all of us in every aspect of our lives.

Remember that the next time you find yourself wondering what your employees are thinking.

Only "Own" What Is Yours

"What is not yours always chirps for its master."

Spanish proverb

And this is not just a matter of acting as though a suggestion or idea came from you; it must actually have done so or it will be apparent to others when it did not.

But even if that weren't true (it must be; I don't believe the Spanish would have turned it into a proverb were it not), there is as much if not more gratification to come from supporting the contributions of others.

Particularly if you are management.

Management Tolerance

"Censorship ends in logical completeness when nobody is allowed to read any books except the books nobody reads."

George Bernard Shaw

Late 19th, early 20th century Irish writer

How tolerant of new thinking can management afford to be assuming employees all need to be "rowing" in the same direction?

How tolerant are you?

Tell Me What You Think

"If I had to reduce the responsibilities of a good follower to just one rule, it would be to speak the truth to power."

Warren Bennis
Organizational Consultant

I'll bet many of you never even thought about followers having responsibilities, nonetheless they do. Every relationship imposes them on both parties regardless of rank.

Of course, along with the requirement that the follower be ready to speak the truth to those in power is the responsibility of those in power being ready to listen, and of greater importance, not penalizing the follower for having done so.

Does it work that way in your organization?

Rumors: "Did you hear . . ."

"In the business world an executive knows something about everything, a technician knows everything about something and the switchboard operator knows it all."

Harold Coffin
Former Associate Press Columnist

Working virtually I am no longer plugged into any office grapevine other than my own (and I've not said anything recently I was at all interested in hearing.)

When I did work with others in a large office, I didn't appreciate the value of the informal communication network that flowed in all directions from all levels. But I do now.

Employees may not know what's really going on but they know what they think they know and that is often more important than reality.

Are you listening?