Change Bytes by Peggy Grall
January 2007
What did you get for Christmas? Everything you wanted? A friend of mine got a great gift for Christmas. He was given a Magellan RoadMate, a small device that sits atop his dashboard to tell him how to get to where he’s going. He tells me that all he has to do is enter his desired destination and the device charts a course from wherever he is on the planet. He has the option of choosing the shortest route, the fastest route or the route with the most or least freeway driving. How cool is that?
What he really likes is that the system is operated by what he describes as an ‘unemotional female voice’ that tells him everything from when to turn, which way to turn and, when he is 20 feet from a turn, a gentle “ding dong” sound alerts him that it’s time to turn NOW. The soft, supportive voice and the gentle bells continue offering him support until he safely arrives at his destination. At this point point the voice says, “You have arrived at your destination.”
And there’s more. If he’s hungry the device will tell him about the nearest restaurants, if he needs gas it will locate the nearest gas stations - by company, and if he needs emergency medical attention, it guides him to the nearest hospital. And at all times the gentle voice knows, within about three feet, exactly where he’s at in relationship to his goal.
But there’s even more. If he makes a mistake and turns left when he should have turned right, there is no stern, “You blew it, you moron" booming from the dashboard, but rather a gentle, “Make a U-turn when you can legally do so.” And, if he persists in his new direction - the voice calmly says, “Calculating a new course.” When he willfully, or out of ignorance, looses his way, ‘She’ determines a new course and begins to give new instructions, never criticizing or blaming.
Isn’t this fascinating? An unemotional, continually supportive, perpetually flexible, ever informed and respectful voice is what people will pay good money for to help them find their way. This state-of-the-art gadget speaks volumes about leading people.
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if every CEO, VP, Manager or Supervisor really listened to those they are charged with leading; found out where they want to go, gently and consistently offer them support and insight into where they are relative to where they want to be, and then- when they veer off course - simply help them chart a new one?
So... How about you? How are you leading the people in your life, or at work, to their destinations? How are you ‘helping’ people reach their goals? If you want to get better at listening and giving support, why not make 2007 the year that you sharpen your leadership skills?
New Year - New Website...take a look!
posted by Daniel (Danny) at 10:00 a.m.
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