Who Cut the Cheese? - the Myth of Management Wisdom

If you have sat through a business meeting, you have had one of those moments when you have sat mute, incredulous that the person talking is wasting your time to prattle on about such inane and obvious things. (Hint: if you have not had such a moment, you are the person prattling on.)

Apparently some people like to use meetings to connect, to come to agreement. One sure way to do this is to talk about the obvious. Who can disagree with a conclusion that this customer making up 40% of the business is an important customer? Who can disagree that it was a bad idea to offend their lead procurement guy? Who would disagree that we need to work things out? And who would disagree that we need to make this an important task? And yet the admonitions spill out, and different levels of managers trip over one another to reinforce what even an 8th grader with an iPod can by now repeat.

At halftime, it may be obvious to the team trailing by 12 points that they have to get out there and "turn things around." This is both obvious and unhelpful. What would help - and what can too rarely be provided - is actual coaching about how to turn things around. Suggestions for specific steps, certain strategies, changes in match ups. Players want to win. They do not want to be humiliated. Players are hungry for good coaching, tips that make them better, whether it comes in the form of words of encouragement or correction.

Employees don't need to be berated or subject to inane pep talks. When things have gone wrong, they need coaching that makes a difference, coaching that can actually improve their performance.