“Never criticise a person until you've walked in their moccasins”
(Always try to see things from the other person’s perspective first)
The Moccasin Manager®, part of the Moccasin Approach®, works on the principle that we must see things from the other person’s perspective before we act. We must understand their likes, dislikes, hopes, dreams, aspirations, concerns, and even fears so we can communicate with them with empathy.
However, this does not mean that we pander to every wish others may have or avoid asking them to perform tasks or duties they may not enjoy or not feel so competent about. We suggest that their perspective and preferences are considered and balanced with the relevant organisational requirements and the situation.
A Moccasin Manager will manage their colleague's feelings and show empathy. They will respect and contextualise their viewpoint and beliefs to the given situation.
As we all know, when we are firefighting, there is often little time to consider everything, and time may well be of the essence, so asking people to do things quicker than they like, with fewer resources or whatever we don’t have at that time, may not sit well, but sometimes needs must!
In short, Moccasin Managers must never forget that they have a duty of care to both their people and their organisational responsibilities. This requires a carefully balanced approach that considers emotion and logic together.
This challenge needs discussion as sometimes we must make quick and difficult decisions. We must practice this Moccasin Approach concept and carefully think about our steps. We discuss aspects of this so that Moccasin managers can approach such challenges.
If this concept of management interests you, email Sophie by clicking here, and Sophie will set up a call to discuss your requirements. We are confident our Moccasins will fit you well, so ask us for an informal chat.
Click here to read about our Moccasin Approach® programmes, which are EI, Values and Behaviours-based approaches designed to cleanse organisational cultures through a programme of EI-based solutions.
