Don't shoot me, General Patton!

I want to take this week to introduce all of you to an up and coming blogger I met on Talent Revolution by the name of Don Hart. He just "gets" leadership and training. His message below is indicative of one of the Leadership roadblocks I see often in the workplace. You can find him on Talent Revolution and on Twitter as @voiceofWUBU. Not only is he talented in Leadership training but he is also a voice over talent, and the Public Address Announcer for the University of Kentucky women's basketball and volleyball teams. Check out Don Hart at Talent Revolution. The guy is a "rockstar" in my book!

Very seldom do I read quotes from people I truly respect and end up mentally battling over their validity. Here is a simple-sounding and brilliantly profound statement by General George S. Patton:

Don't tell people how to do things, tell them what to do and let them surprise you with their results. George S. Patton

My first, knee-jerk reaction to this statement was to say that it was antiquated and in this age of technology, it cannot be applied properly without a major system crash! I cut into it and explored it and dissected it and tried to justify what I thought. Well…I ended up flailing in brutal self-reflection.

When a new training group leaves the classroom, or a group of veterans leave our scheduled training, we sit back and watch the action. We watch them go from "Utopia" and into the real world without passing "Go". Inevitably, over the course of the next several days or weeks, the "graduated trainees" will appall us with audacity. They're not furthering their progress through personal creativity and self-imposed research applied to what we taught! Instead, they'd rather devalue themselves by listening to how others do it WRONG; consequently adopting those failed techniques and attitudes for themselves. How DARE they!!!

Don't tell people how to do things, tell them what to do and let them surprise you with their results. George S. Patton

Why do we as trainers tell someone WHAT to do, then tell them HOW to do it? Why on earth would we rob them of the creative process of determining their own results, as Gen. Patton says?

Because almost every time a new person is asked by their manager something along the lines of, "Why didn't you do (insert company procedure or process here) after you made the sale?", the standard and rote response is, "They didn't show me how to do that." Well, 3 guesses as to who gets the blame for that. And, though I try to eschew cliché…no, your first two do NOT count! And, by the way, what happens when the manager escalates the concern? Any guesses as to who has more credibility with higher ups? MANAGEMENT? Or training?

But…Don't tell people how to do things, tell them what to do and let them surprise you with their results. George S. Patton

The new person knew they had to do this procedure, but they didn't take the time to try to figure out how for themselves. Preferring instead to hope in the end it truly wasn't necessary or will be overlooked. But, God forbid they ask for help and look like the "new, high maintenance hire". They're "entitled" to have the knowledge handed to them rather than find it themselves.

The manager thought the new person should have done the procedure, but didn't take the time to ensure they knew how. Preferring instead to skip any potential coaching or training opportunities and simply ask them why they weren't doing it, and chase down the excuse rather than eliminating it. That would interfere with their plausible deniability.

In other words…it's TRAINING'S fault!!

But...Don't tell people how to do things, tell them what to do and let them surprise you with their results. George S. Patton

So, to avoid once again answering the "Why didn't you train them on this?" question, we acquiesce. But we do so in a truly submissive manner. We do so BEFORE we're blamed. We practically take their fragile little new person fingers and click on the buttons for them. We train them in the Pavlovian sense rather than the philosophical sense. We teach them to have a routine. We want them to be methodical, habitual, and robotic and never miss a trick…

Don't tell people how to do things, tell them what to do and let them surprise you with their results. George S. Patton

And, we FAIL them. And we steal from them! We steal their ability to learn how to do their jobs themselves and impress anyone. We stifle the creative gene that is borne in all of us by making the job a "daily list of procedures" rather than a "constantly evolving system of beliefs and objectives that is enhanced by self-study, networking, and creativity."

Don't tell people how to do things, tell them what to do and let them surprise you with their results. George S. Patton

But, worst of all, we steal from ourselves! In an effort to eliminate the perceived inefficiencies of the training we deliver; in an effort to defend ourselves to people who think we are not needed in the first place; in an effort to give the appearance that our department never misses a beat, we make ourselves look like nothing more than a walking, talking computer screen. We convey information, news, processes, procedures, product knowledge, salesmanship, etc. but we absolutely FAIL to send a creative, self-sufficient, confident, and well-informed person out into the fray to represent our company with integrity!

Don't tell people how to do things, tell them what to do and let them surprise you with their results. George S. Patton

Well, as of this moment, I vow to change that, SIR! I pledge to answer to the people who ask "why didn't you train them how to do this?" with integrity, accountability, and enthusiasm, sir! I promise to promote self-study and personal accountability with all new hires, sir! And, I promise to embrace the creativity that allowed me to get to where I am so that I may pass along as much of that ability as fate will allow me, sir!

Thank you, General Patton, sir! Now, if I may just borrow your gun…….