The Third Grade Teacher Model of Leadership
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Mrs. McKinley was my third grade teacher. She was the original "tough" teacher. You may have had her in a different body.
She had posture that would make a Marine proud. Every steel-gray hair was firmly in place. Metal-rimmed glasses glinted in the afternoon sun. She dressed in black, white, and shades of gray.
There were great things about Mrs. McKinley. She cared about the students she taught. And she was strictly no-nonsense.
Some years after I had left her care, a friend proudly boasted to Mrs. McKinley that she had placed her son in a school that "educated the whole person." The Great Gray Lady didn't miss a beat. "Well," she said, "I certainly hope they start with the head."
Mrs. McKinley's classroom was a tightly-run ship. When she asked a question, you could be sure of two things. You could be sure there was an answer to the question. And you could be sure that Mrs. McKinley knew what it was. Mrs. McKinley had the answers.
She was also the disciplinarian. When Georgie or Phyllis or Nancy or Wally acted up or did something forbidden, like stealing your pencil, you did not confront them. Instead you told your tale to Mrs. McKinley. She, in turn, assumed the role of Agent of a Moral Universe, ascertaining the facts and dispensing justice.
The fact is that Mrs. McKinley was a great third grade teacher. The problem is that too many bosses have adopted her model as they way they work.
In the world of business, many questions don't have an answer. There may be some intelligent choices of action, but sure answers are rare. So as a boss, you can't know the answers and you and your team will do better if you learn to ask questions and solicit opinions and ideas. That way you get every brain in the game.
And in the most effective teams, confrontation isn't just the boss's job. The best teams have a culture of candor and caring confrontation. Team members talk to each other about performance and behavior issues before they talk to the team leader.
Boss's Bottom Line
Check your own behavior. If you're using the Third Grade Teacher model, it's time to break free. It won't be easy and it won't be quick and some of your team members may not like it, but in the long run, you, your team members, the team, and the company will all do better.
Additional Resources
This post was inspired by a post by Bret Simmons titled "A Culture of Communication, Not Complaints" and a series of posts by Mary Jo Asmus on using inquiry as a leadership tool. Here's a pointer to the one she called "The Art of Inquiry."
Wally's Working Supervisor's Support Kit is a collection of information and tools to help working supervisors do a better job. It's based on what Wally's learned in over twenty years of supervisory skills training. Click here to check it out.
Categories: shareholder,Management,Leadership
Tags: Supervision Management Leadership
Great stuff Wally! "Every brain in the game," and "in the most effective teams, confrontation isn't just the boss's job. The best teams have a culture of candor and caring confrontation. Team members talk to each other about performance and behavior issues before they talk to the team leader." - well said and strongly concur.
Keep up the great work! Bret
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Thanks for those comments, Bret and for one of the posts that inspired this one. I can't take credit for "every brain in the game" though. I first heard that from Jack Welch several years ago and since from several others.
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Nicely put, Wally. I have had Mrs.McKinley in another body. It worked just fine as my grade school teacher. Not so well as my boss when I was in the corporate world; I remember a feeling of suffocation in the latter case.
I often use the example of test-taking in school for "questions where the answers are known" when I teach coaching skills to managers. The managers quickly understand the power of using questions without answers in the workplace through that example.
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You are but one of many who have had Mrs. McKinley in a different body. You're right. In the third grade it's good. Beyond that, not so good. Thanks for the specific example of test taking. I'm sure there are readers who will go "Aha!" when they read it.
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Trouble is if you got Mrs McKinley in Graduate School. Utterly useless! I loved your metaphor here. Now a "tightly run ship" is not a bad thing, if you realize that - as you put it - "many questions don't have an answer" and "its not just the boss' job to confront". Then, running a tight ship will be making SURE you get everyone's input and a no-nonsense feedback going on in the team. Great post!
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Good points, Monica. Running a tight ship doesn't mean resorting to the lash. It does mean maintaining discipline and usually you do that differently with adults than with third graders. You've described it quite well.
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I have worked with the 3rd grade teacher for the past 5 years. She barks orders and everyone listens, probably just because they want her to be quiet and they want her to leave them alone. It is not a good way to lead and supervise, but it is effective. When I became a supervisor, she inspired me to be the best supervisor I can be. I do the exact opposite of her and I get the same results.
This is a very important topic these days especially in the casino industry I work in. There is a cloud of nerves that haunts everyone because they are afraid to lose their job and it is good to have supervisors who are supportive and not disruptive. Thanks for the opportunity to comment Wally.
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Thanks, Greg. It's always good to have you drop by and share your experience.
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Love the "every brain in the game phrase". Great metaphor. I wonder if the "Mrs. McKinley's in other bodies" would read this post and actually see themselves.
It is amazing how prevalent the "command and control" leadership style still is. Control is a comforting illusion, but it has costs those who model it often can't see or own. It takes great conviction and strength to transform this kind of style. As you point out it certainly is not easy. But it certainly is worth it.
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Hi Wally-
I think everyone has had one of those teachers growing up. During the age that we have the pleasure of encountering a "Mrs. McKinley", we need the structure that she proposes because of our age. We haven't had the time to process and utilize logical reasoning with our classmates or with ourselves in order to handle conflict with our fellow students or within ourselves. However, when we are in the professional field, we have had the opportunity to learn and utilize logical reasoning. If our boss does not allow us to think for ourselves or solve issues by ourselves, then we will never grow as an individual and we will never become a better employee.
I commend you on your ability to relate it between a third grade teacher and an adult's boss. Thank you
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Thanks, Kim. You're right that the same style that's appropriate for third graders might not be appropriate for adults. And you have to pay more attention to new team members and those who don't pitch in and contribute than to seasoned members who hoist their load without specific direction.
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Very enjoyable Wally,
I have a question though, mightn't it also be a problem if every boss is like the school your old classmate sent her son to? Should every boss "teach the whole person"? Or is there something to be said for a non nonsense boss in certain situations?
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Good point. What I'm after is for every team leader to use the appropriate style for the individual and the situation. That will mean differences between individuals and between the same individual at different stages of development or different levels of willingness to pitch in.
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Wally, the "third grade teacher" analogy is a pretty accurate description of many leaders' management style. I consider these managers "small time" and short-sighted. I believe one of the main objectives a manager should have is to facilitate and encourage critical thinking among their subordinates. I'm a big believer in diversity of ideas and view management as just a support mechanism for the growth and implementation of these ideas.
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I agree with "short-sighted," Jeff, but I think we also have to add, "far too common."
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Simply said..a fantastic post! I thoroughly enjoyed it! I know a few such people I may just recommend read your words.
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Thanks for those kind words, Gina. Much appreciated.
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I see some problems about running a "tight ship", but I think they are overcome by the benefits. It seems like the teacher ran the classroom like a military base. When you look at our military, one quickly realizes that they are some of the finest individuals in the world, and they get that way through training. I think we all could learn something from Mrs. McKinley.
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Thanks for adding that to the discussion, Brad. The problem with the Third Grade Teacher style isn't the "tight ship" per se. As others have pointed out here, it's the kind of tight ship that matters. Mrs. McKinley's was entirely appropriate for the third grade. It can be appropriate for some adult work situations, too. But it's based on an assumption that doesn't work in the adult workplace most of the time.
Mrs. McKinley's tight ship was very different from the military. One of the reasons that the American military is so effective is that it gives men and women an extraordinary amount ofReply to this