LTYM - The wisdom of the dishes

Letters to a Young Manager

The wisdom of the dishes, #173
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Please note that this letter is in-process; the following are my notes

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My wife and I divide the kitchen chores. She cooks, and I clean-up. One night she started telling me how to do the dishes and when to do them. I resented it and told her. What's the difference between this and a manager-employee relationship. Telling an employee what needs to be done is fine. But the how and when to do it (other than the deadline) is micro-managing. Say the what and the by when without the how. Perhaps there is an application of the project triangle here as well?

As a good detail person, I often slip into the role of "how" advisor. Bite my tongue!! I hate be told how. So don't do it to others!

Saying "what" is about outcomes; saying "how" is about method. State the destination, not the path the ship needs to sail.

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References...

Takeaways:

Say what, not how

Discussion Questions:

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