What do I mean by “thinking”? Thinking can mean coming up with ideas, considering solutions to problems, strategizing,
planning, reflecting and so much more.
When people are “thinking”, they are often sitting quietly gazing out
the window. This is often perceived as “day
dreaming” or “slacking off”, so what employees often do is to stay “busy” or at
least appear to be.
Busy work often involves tasks that are repetitive and require
little thinking. So someone who looks
busy may not be asking themselves, “Does this task add value?” “Is there a better way of doing this?” “Is there something else I could be doing
that would be more productive?”
If people are rewarded for doing busy work, and criticized
for thinking, what kind of an organization do we end up with? We end up with an
organization that is focused on the dreaded status quo and is not perched for
the next big change. And how satisfied are people working in this
environment? The good ones – the ones
who take initiative, challenge the status quo, and innovate won’t last
long. They already have one foot out the
door. The employees that you will have
left are the ones who decided to embrace the status quo and to resist any kind
of change that comes their way. This
type of organization is doomed.
So how do you encourage “thinking” at work?
Everyone needs to be encouraged to think and to feel safe
enough to ask questions and express ideas. By everyone, I mean EVERYONE - not
just the talented leaders who have lots of confidence and big voices, but also
the most junior person on the team, the shy one, the receptionist, the
janitor. Why? Because they all have eyes, ears, and brains. You are paying them, so you may as well get
the most of them!
If you have a problem to solve, invite a variety of people
to a meeting and listen (really listen!) to each of their suggestions and ideas,
and then thank them. You will not only
get fresh perspectives, but you will be building their confidence and creating
a culture where people feel honored, respected and recognized.
