I’m going to tell you a secret about me. I’m a bit of a weather freak. I check the weather multiple times a day and I rarely miss the weather segment on the 11PM news. If I ever meet Jim Cantore, I’m going to shake his hand and run like hell since disaster is on the way.
I have a favorite weatherperson, but he’s my favorite for a reason you might not have thought about and he also teaches us something about being a great manager. Why I love this guy is simple. He doesn’t just explain the “what” of weather. He explains the “why” as well.
All weather folks tell you the forecast. They let you know if it’s going to rain or freeze or be gloriously sunny. That’s the “what.” Very few, however, will explain to you about water vapor levels and what looking at the infrared satellite view and the radar can tell you about what’s going on in the atmosphere. That’s the “why.” Great managers do the same thing. They don’t just tell their team what they want to be done. They also explain why they want it done and how it fits into the bigger scheme of things. It’s more like telling a story than it is just stating a fact (in the case of weather) or issuing a command (in the case of managing).
I’ll admit that I sometimes used to put the “what” before the “why” as a manager, particularly when there was an emergency situation. That’s a weak excuse, frankly. It doesn’t take more than an extra minute to preface the what with a why and then add on a “how” for good measure. Even in most crisis situations, there is an extra minute to do that, and it often results in a better result and a more united team as the crisis is conquered.
When you watch your weather tonight, listen for the “why.” Do the same to yourself as you’re asking your team for help. Do you hear the “why”?
Consult Keith 