Shownotes
Metaphor; “a figure of speech in which a word or phrase is applied to an object or action to which it is not literally applicable.”
Sometimes situations can be so complex or intracate that explaining them in a litteral way becomes difficult to understand. It is usually a matter of ‘once you see it, you understand it’. This is, of course, nothing new, everything we learn, or understand for the first time has this AHA moment. The dificulty lies in getting to that point.
Office dynamics, employee development, interpersonal relations, management involvement, personal development, engagement… happiness.
All these things are inherently linked to work… how we work, how we perceive work, how we get through the day.
We have yet to introduce Stupid Harvey on the podcast, but he’s the embodiement of a manager that just doesn’t get it. Whether he’s active on a team level, middle management or in the C-Suite, they are always around. For instance:
Outsourcing managerial responsibilities and tasks to employees really lightens my work load. I can always blame them later for mistakes.
— Stupid Harvey (@StupidHarvey) July 16, 2015
or:
The walls need new paint. It's wise that I choose the colour. This way I avoid any conflicts that may arise among the employees.
— Stupid Harvey (@StupidHarvey) August 10, 2015
Things Can Be Different
Assuming people actually want change, and that managers will champion this change, a clear understanding of that change and its possibilities must be had.
Using a metaphor will help, using the Gardening Metaphor might even be successful.
It’s simply a matter of making things understandable for people and help them put issues unto context and/or perspective.
Stuff Mentioned
- The Gardening Metaphor for your Corporate Culture – by Rogier Noort
- Sow and So – Gardening Website
- Microsoft’s New World of Working – by Rogier Noort
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- Teal: And the Quest for the Quick Win – Episode 039 - February 2, 2017
- What The World Needs Now – Episode 038 - October 14, 2016
- Middle Management – Episode 035 - May 3, 2016
