In this last of my blog series on influencing others I want to cover the category of creating a broader frame. Creating a broader frame is all about creating a line of sight between individual work and an organizational end or purpose. I've used the following example for many years...so many years I cannot remember to whom I should attribute it and an initial Google search didn't reveal a source either. All of that to say, this story isn't original to me and if I could attribute it properly, I would.
The story is told of two stone-masons working side by side in medieval Europe. A visitor approached and asked one, "What are you doing?" The mason's surly answer was "I'm carving this rock into a square block. What's it look like I'm doing?" The visitor moved on to another mason a short distance away. He asked the second mason, "What are you doing?" The second mason responded "I'm creating an important building block of what will one day be a magnificent cathedral that will serve as a beacon of hope and spirituality to tens of thousands of people for generations to come".
Two men performing exactly the same task. Which one is more likely to do a good job? Which one is more likely to pay attention to detail? Which one is more likely to give his discretionary effort? I think the answer is obvious.
Often these broader frames are captured as vision statements or purpose statements. I've been part of some exercises where we spent a ridiculous amount of time "wordsmithing"....making sure every little word was exactly right on these statements. Most of that is wasted effort. They have to be more than a description of all the work being done. It's also not important that they perfectly describe a photograph of a future state. They've got to be more than an updated version of "I'm carving this rock into a square block." They do need to motivate, inspire to excellence and call on the best of what every staff member has to give. That's how a leader influences the action.
The story is told of two stone-masons working side by side in medieval Europe. A visitor approached and asked one, "What are you doing?" The mason's surly answer was "I'm carving this rock into a square block. What's it look like I'm doing?" The visitor moved on to another mason a short distance away. He asked the second mason, "What are you doing?" The second mason responded "I'm creating an important building block of what will one day be a magnificent cathedral that will serve as a beacon of hope and spirituality to tens of thousands of people for generations to come".
Two men performing exactly the same task. Which one is more likely to do a good job? Which one is more likely to pay attention to detail? Which one is more likely to give his discretionary effort? I think the answer is obvious.
Often these broader frames are captured as vision statements or purpose statements. I've been part of some exercises where we spent a ridiculous amount of time "wordsmithing"....making sure every little word was exactly right on these statements. Most of that is wasted effort. They have to be more than a description of all the work being done. It's also not important that they perfectly describe a photograph of a future state. They've got to be more than an updated version of "I'm carving this rock into a square block." They do need to motivate, inspire to excellence and call on the best of what every staff member has to give. That's how a leader influences the action.
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