In the middle of an IMAX movie on Antarctica, I had an aha moment about managing people. It was the last night of a course I was taking on managing people, and the first time I had ever seen penguins under water!
I’d always had the image of adorable but awkward penguins waddling on ice and was shocked to see them speed purposefully through the water like silver rockets. In a flash, I realized I’d been seeing some of my staff as “penguins on ice”. Now my job as manager was to be open to seeing them differently, and to create a supportive environment where they would show me the water they swim in – tell me how they can soar.
Is there someone you see as a penguin on ice? What can you do to help that person find his or her water at work?
I invite you to leave a response or a comment.