How to teach anyone anything...because I said so.

Dear reader-

Have you ever been a child? Well of course you have!!! (I kinda still am- just stuck in a 34 year old body).

Do you recall hearing “Because I said so”- as a definitive statement from a parental unit to deter you from any further questioning?

Me

“Why do I have to iron my church clothes?”

“Why do I have to take off the Freddy Kruger mask while playing Nintendo?”

“Why can’t I get drink 17 Red bulls in one day?”

“Why can’t she spend the night after the movie?”

Parents- “BECAUSE I SAID SO.”

That was the final comment; there was NO coming back from that. The dreaded #becauseIsaidSO won- and in my house- it won A LOT.

Think about what that did to you- as the ‘student’ of the logic.

You weren’t really given an explanation- nor were you given a rational answer.

That is infuriating. It tests your patience, it leaves you muttering under your breath (even if was just pseudo swear words)

Now- how do you- as a professional interact in your business? Do you offer the ‘because I said so” as a slicing guillotine to the request of a coworker?

In the professional world- ‘because I said so” can also be delivered in a few different ways.

- Over-burdened and rigid policies

- Rules that don’t make sense and distract employees from the vision

- Narrow minded decision makers

There is a way to snap out of that parental funk and start teaching your employees.

I am adapting some theory that I have be
en ingrained to think within my faith- to alter for a

working professional.

“True principles, understood, changes behavior.”

So manager- if you want to change behavior- TEACH PRINCIPLES! Teach the principle around the policy.

- Why is the marketing campaign so important?’

- Why is the operational change helpful? (sometimes the employee doesn’t see the change as helpful from their perception)

- Why are you changing the policy mid-year?

I find that over communicating and driving transparency will infuse to the core of your team.

I hear the message of my leaders in a board room.

Then most of the time- it is my responsibility to ensure that the same message is driven to the front line employees. I have observed that the more the leaders of an organization communicate to mid-level managers- the easier it is to gain buy in from all employees.

True principles, understood, changes behavior.

The base is having a TRUE PRINCIPLE. If your basis isn’t ‘true’- it will never be understood. That’s always a good litmus test. Bounce the principle off some trusted colleagues, see if it sticks. More importantly, see if they ask “why?”

Once they ask the ‘why?”- then you got ‘em! Teach them. Teach them with a relentless effort. Teach them in structured forums, teach them in casual conversations, teach them in email, teach them in a group text. JUST TEACH THEM.

And watch- behavior will change…because I said so.