Late last summer I was cutting the grass and getting more than a little frustrated that my mower didn’t seem to have much power. A neighbor knowledgeable about engines quickly diagnosed the problem. It was the governor. Not the one who sits in the state capitol, but the one that limits the power of my motor and keeps it from revving so high that it explodes.
The thing is, people are a lot different from combustion engines.
I was recently talking with a colleague who was asked to help an eager young associate learn some very technical skills. This associate has that magic combination of enthusiasm and aptitude. But after a couple weeks of “teaching,” it was evident that project was turning into an exercise in futility.
My colleague complained that her associate wasn’t making any progress and was being difficult. When I pressed for details, it was because her associate wasn’t going through the material “in the right order.” She went on to explain that the way she learned the material was in a linear progression and that was the way it was supposed to be done.
My colleague was making the mistake of trying to govern rather than guide.
It’s one thing to be learning brain surgery or follow military orders in a conflict. It’s an entirely different thing when motivated people are eager to take on challenges and learn new skills. My colleague was failing to remember that people have different learning styles and individual motivations. Just because something worked for us a certain way doesn’t mean the formula is the same for everyone. In fact, the governor mindset often holds people back.
My colleague needed to change her mindset from governor to guide. Instead of prescribing a one size fits all formula, a guide points the direction to the goal, arranges the necessary provisions and leads. We’re under control of governors, but we hire guides to lead us where we want to go. Being an effective guide means seeing through someone else’s eyes and empowering them to achieve their goals while providing them resources they need.
These are simple and basic truths but we often forget them because we become accustomed to what works for us and jump to conclusions about those around us, their motivations, abilities, aptitudes and aspirations.