3 Things a Sage Always Avoids
Sometimes being a sage is about what you DON’T do.
#1. Don’t cast pearls before pigs.
Never treat unmotivated learners the same as motivated. Hunger motivates pigs to seek food, but when their bellies bulge, they lay in the mud. They don’t want change. They want confirmation.
When you realize you’re dealing with a pig say, “Oh, I see you already know what you should do about this. I shouldn’t have offered my suggestions. Please feel free to keep me informed on your progress.”
2 ways to spot a pig:
- Pigs always look for the next thing to gobble up. The solution you provide is never quite good enough.
- Pigs seem enthusiastic until it’s time to change something.
#2. Don’t include timid learners with pigs.
The difference between pigs and timid learners is resistance. Pigs gobble up your solutions and find fault. The timid need time and courage to try something new.
Show patience and compassion with the timid. Allow pigs to wallow in their own mud until they’re ready to change.
Don’t include fearful novices with resistant pigs. The timid need a safety net. Pigs need to struggle in the mud longer.
#3. Don’t minimize problems.
Give solutions AFTER defining problems. A solution without a problem is a good idea. A solution to a big problem is a mandate to action.
The bigger the problem, the more valuable the solution and the wiser the advisor.
Don’t say, “That’s no big deal,” to a struggling novice. Instead ask, “What’s painful about this situation?” Allow pain to be painful – so that solutions feel like an opportunity.
Recall the frustrations in your past. Tell stories about your struggles but don’t focus the conversation on yourself.
Ask, “What will it feel like to solve this problem?”
What does a sage avoid doing?
How do you deal with resistant pigs?
Don’t argue with idiots, and don’t quarrel with pigs. But don’t leave them alone and let them wallow, they’ll just find more and more problems they insist you solve. And they can become vicious in an instant.
Teach them to feed themselves and stay in their pen, and definitely don’t marry one.
Thanks Rurbane. For some perverse reason your comment made me laugh. I think that’s a good thing.
An pig will bring down the rest of the team and before you know it you’ll have a pen full of pigs. Best to address the behavior and if it is irreversible than manage them out of the organization. Best yet is never to have hired them. Look for ways to screen for pigs in the interview process… a good topic for another post?
Thanks Stephanie. Someone needs to write a book, “Don’t Hire Pigs Unless You want you Organization to Stink.” 🙂
Equally important, Stephanie, is to remove any Pigs In Charge … their voracious appetites ruin everything for everyone, and they tend to be elevated for those very qualities that remake the culture from empowerment to entitlement, the clearest path to corruption.
Equally important, Stephanie, is to remove any Pigs In Charge …
their voracious appetites ruin everything for everyone, and they tend to be elevated for those very qualities that remake the cultural pen from empowerment to entitlement, the clearest path to corruption.
Been dealing with a pig in charge in one situation & a timid piglet learner in another. Can’t do anything with the pig in charge, but the timid piglet got t9ld off a few times then let go after last set of crap. When trying to get into a university, no matter the size ,, you don’t tell the one vetting you how things will go & how 5hings will be done & cop a major attitude & refuse to take responsibility for your own actions. Too bad i didn’t read this yesterday lol
Hi Dan…I love this…”Don’t say, “That’s no big deal,” to a struggling novice. Instead ask, “What’s painful about this situation?” Allow pain to be painful – so that solutions feel like an opportunity.”
No big deal…something said I hope with a goal of providing some assurance. Unfortunately when used as an automatic response, it robs the recipient of their ‘place’ in the situation. It steps on and over the emotion and its impact on logical thinking for that person. It steals legitimacy of these things and the whole notion of being ‘in pain’ becomes wrong.
Great as always…
How do you encourage “pigs” when working on team projects to motivate them to work with change?
Do you have any suggested readings on topics like this?
If a pig insists on remaining the mud, and wants to live there, sometimes you need to make bacon…
Another great post. Thanks for sharing your wisdom.
#3. Don’t minimize problems.
Give solutions AFTER defining problems. A solution without a problem is a good idea. A solution to a big problem is a mandate to action.
The bigger the problem, the more valuable the solution and the wiser the advisor.
I’m such a stickler on impression and “problem” is negative whereas “challenge” is positive so I’ve rewritten:
#3 Don’t minimize challenges.
Give Solutions AFTER defining the challenges presented. A solution without challenges is a good idea. A solution to a larger challenge is a mandate to positive action forward..
The bigger the challenge, the more valuable the solution and the wiser the advisor.
I gotta point that out.
Holy Pig manure Dan, such an eye opener today!
Fabulous comments, having raised swine years ago brings just what you stated, “Don’t let them wallow”, feed them enough yet control their surroundings! “Oh that smell” so pleasant!
But man, the Bacon taste good! Interesting enough lead them and they will follow!
If not it’s “Butcher time”! 🙂
“We’ve always done it this way,” is the mantra of a pig.
This post was brought to you by Pink Floyd’s “Animals.” LOL. You should have follow up posts about dogs and sheep too, Dan. The parallels to leadership would translate well.
“Big man, pig man, ha ha, charade you are…”
Pigs (Three Different Kinds)
Good article!
Sadly my experience is that organizations fail to improve because there are too many in “senior leadership” positions that are unwilling to learn and think they know it all. They pay for management advice, but don’t really believe in it.
Hi everyone I’m trying to be the best sage i can be but it’s hard sometimes, I’ve been doing research about the 7sages and Atlantis and for some reason feel in my heart that maybe I could be one of the 7 reborn and if that is true I just want to know if anybody here may feel the same, I’m trying to find the other six together for this time of need i feel and to bring humanity back to or endless loving creator.. does anybody here feel the same… X x