Going back to ancient Chinese times, sometime between the 4th and 6th centuries BC, Lao Tzu was the founder of Taoism, the mysterious “Way” or “Path” that many have followed ever since.
And came with him the many sayings that he is famous for.
One of the most famous is the quote above, “Give a man a fish; feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish; feed him for a lifetime,” which is a fascinating parallel to today’s modern world of management.
The metaphor of feeding someone and that’s enough to get them through one day, and just one day shows that people can only be helped so far. If we help them and do things for them all the time, they depend on us, and that is not only unhealthy for their skill development, but also potentially dangerous, if we are not there to help them one day, their future is in jeopardy.
The principle whereby we depend entirely on the support, direction and even care of another person, for a very long time, is typical of many modern management environments. Old-fashioned “command and control” management processes result in employees only being required or even able to do what they’re told, which puts a lot of pressure on those reporting.
Not only that, but when employees are not provided with motivating work and are not required to challenge themselves mentally, this often leads to dampened motivation and then higher rates of absenteeism, as well as a higher rate of employee turnover that such boredom entails.
Lack of motivation = boredom = frustration = leave to find something else.
Let’s look at the other side, where “we teach a man to fish.” Not only does a man become self-sufficient and be able to survive without being provided for, but he also has a sense of accomplishment and fulfillment. How good does it feel for a fisherman to pull a fish out of the water?
Much better than putting one generously in front of him, just to eat. Sure, it might be a good idea to save it for a while, but the human psyche is greater than that of a healthy human being. People need to be appreciated for who they are.
So – we teach them to hunt. In the workplace, by teaching people new skills, we validate them based on who they are and the contribution they can make. They know they are useful and valuable and with that confidence they do more. They learn that expanding themselves is a good thing. That they have untapped resources within themselves that show the potential they have always had, now unleashed.
In fact, “teaching them to fish” not only realizes the physical potential they possess, but also stimulates greater capabilities in them. Their developmental muscles have been stretched and exercised, getting bigger and more capable.
The positive side in the work “to teach our people to fish”? Well, managers can offload some of the tactical workload on others who relish the opportunity. This frees managers to do more with more of their employees.
A work environment that becomes a breeding ground for competent, committed and motivated employees, who strive to do more. Managers enable their business to become a developmental mixing vessel for ideas and capabilities like no other before.
In the business world where the embodiment of excellent management is the process that works at least as well (and sometimes even better!), when the manager is absent, he must be recognized as of the best quality.
And as this level of ability develops, all because the manager has taught his people “how to fish,” business thrives.
How Lao Tzu would smile if he saw how important his little saying was, in the bustle of today’s business world, as it was all those years ago!