johnnocero@barberinstitute.org
Today’s world changes rapidly. What was state of the art one year ago is now outdated. Yesterday’s ideas do not keep companies profitable today. To adapt, businesses revise strategic plans or pulse work groups for better ideas. But, while businesses change frequently, employees do not. Let me rephrase that – the way to get better results from your workforce does not. Do not be foolish enough to compare the operating system of your IPhone to your workforce. The average professional still thrives under the same methods that worked decades ago.
This is old-school thinking. The term ‘old school’ is now pop culture slang, referring to anything from a bygone era looked upon with high regard.
So many employees think they have everything figured out – they have a know-it-all mentality. So much style, but no substance. All smoke and mirrors. Remember – people rarely know as much as they think they know; nor do they rarely know as much as we think we think they know.
So we need to go and find out how much they know.
Reach out to a colleague who you haven’t talked to in some time. Yes, it is awkward because you have not maintained the relationship. Do it anyway. E-mail or phone is fine, face to face better – just don’t show up unannounced. Respect their time and schedule a meeting. Then, when you meet with them, really listen to their needs and what is happening in their lives, professionally and personally. People’s feelings impact their ability to do their job, or give them an opportunity to rationalize why they would act in a non-compliant way. Appreciate what they are going through. Energize them. I get more from these exchanges than I do at public meetings, where public sometimes means posturing. Plenty can be learned by listening to those who have been around the block.
This technique is not new, but clearly not outdated. Basics work. If it didn’t someone would have figured out a new way long ago. Don’t be so quick to knock the old school. Don’t make the mistake of looking for the latest and greatest upgrade while you miss looking at a technique that has stood the test of time. It works. Once you find something that works, do not just scrap it. Technology is new. Human intelligence isn’t.
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