But They are Not Me

I was on a hike with my friend Cliff, when he started talking about how he gets great photos of all his outdoor adventures right there on his cell phone.

“It’s so easy, Surya,” he said, “You just plug your phone into a USB port on your computer, upload to your Pictures folder…” as he kept describing the steps I’d have to take, it started to sound less and less like English and I kept asking more questions. He stopped short of saying, “C’mon, any dummy can do it,” but I could tell that’s what he was thinking.

Easy? I don’t think so. Not for me.

“So, Cliff,” I interrupted, “How’s your [blog] article writing coming along these days?”

As Cliff knows, I have been writing articles my whole life.

“What’s the problem, Cliff? It’s so easy! You just think of something, imagine what you would do in a similar situation and describe it in simple words. That's all there is to it.”

He got my point.

Technology is easy for Cliff. Writing comes easier to me.

What’s this got to do with leadership and accountability? The people you work with are not you. There are going to be tasks in the work day that come more naturally to you than to them.

They are not you.

This is one of the first things I remind leaders of when they start complaining that a person or team is not living up to their expectation. When what the leader is really expecting is what THEY would do in the same situation.

The key is to approach these situations respectfully and professionally. You don’t rub it in people’s face or act as though there’s something wrong with them. They are not you. And that’s not a fault, it’s a fact. There are plenty of things they are good at that you are not. Acknowledge people for their strengths, and then clearly define what you want them to do; without assuming they should already know, and without judging them for not knowing.

They are not you. And don’t forget it.

While many people would rather die than speak in front of a group, public speaking is another one of those things that comes naturally to Dr. Surya Ganduri. He offers keynotes, presentations, tele-seminars and webinars as well as corporate and annual meetings, offsite retreats and full-day or half-day facilitated workshops designed to suit your business culture and help you create accountability throughout your organization. Contact him today to find out more.