Aesop’s Fables: Hercules and the Waggoner
Many of you know that I love Aesop’s Fables to present timeless lessons, and write about how they connect to lessons in the lean journey. This fable is titled:
Hercules and the Waggoner
“A Waggoner was driving his team along a muddy lane with a full load behind them, when the wheels of his waggon sank so deep in the mire that no efforts of his horses could move them. As he stood there, looking helplessly on, and calling loudly at intervals upon Hercules for assistance, the god himself appeared, and said to him, “Put your shoulder to the wheel, man, and goad on your horses, and then you may call on Hercules to assist you. If you won’t lift a finger to help yourself, you can’t expect Hercules or any one else to come to your aid.”
Heaven helps those who help themselves.
Too often we look to others to do the heavy lifting. It might be because they are better positioned or suited for the task, or because we don’t know how to start.
I have many conversations with people that center around the leaders of the organization not doing the right thing. They haven’t built a culture of cooperation. They aren’t working on the right problem. They aren’t creating an atmosphere where lean can thrive. But have we really put our shoulders into it? Have we given it our all?
If the problems that need to be solved require cross-department collaboration and sponsorship from another department and resources, it may be much harder for us to draw these actions together than someone with more authority. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t do everything we possibly can before asking for that intervention.
In my coaching conversations, there is a phrase I used quite a bit to get to this point. It is simply this:
What have you tried and what was the result?
And then: what else have you tried? And what else? And what else?
I do this for two purposes. First, I want to help them see if they are calling for help before or after they have exhausted their efforts. And second, I want them to be better at self-analysis of their actions and the results.
Imagine what would happen if we all put our shoulder wheel and pushed. We would move more than wagons; we would move organizations.
Reflection Question: How do you make sure you’ve put in your effort before asking for help? And how do you help others with the same behavior?
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Jamie – Another great post! I was reminded of Jim Collins comments about the flywheel effect. “Point to tangible accomplishments – however incremental at first – and show how these steps fit into the context of an overall concept that will work. When you do this in such a way that people see and feel the buildup of momentum, they will line up with enthusiasm.” Keep up the good work. I love your stuff. Best wishes for continued success. – Don Nelson
Jamie – Another great post! I was reminded of Jim Collins comments about the flywheel effect. “Point to tangible accomplishments – however incremental at first – and show how these steps fit into the context of an overall concept that will work. When you do this in such a way that people see and feel the buildup of momentum, they will line up with enthusiasm.” Keep up the good work. I love your stuff. Best wishes for continued success. – Don Nelson
Jamie – Another great post! I was reminded of Jim Collins comments about the flywheel effect. “Point to tangible accomplishments – however incremental at first – and show how these steps fit into the context of an overall concept that will work. When you do this in such a way that people see and feel the buildup of momentum, they will line up with enthusiasm.” Keep up the good work. I love your stuff. Best wishes for continued success. – Don Nelson
I have been on the receiving end of Jamie’s question several times. It is frustrating having to answer it but everytime I learn something new about how I myself or how I handled a situation. It is a great question, “What have you tried and what were the results?”
Self reflection on if we tried hard enough before asking for help is hard but worth the investment.
I have been on the receiving end of Jamie’s question several times. It is frustrating having to answer it but everytime I learn something new about how I myself or how I handled a situation. It is a great question, “What have you tried and what were the results?”
Self reflection on if we tried hard enough before asking for help is hard but worth the investment.
I have been on the receiving end of Jamie’s question several times. It is frustrating having to answer it but everytime I learn something new about how I myself or how I handled a situation. It is a great question, “What have you tried and what were the results?”
Self reflection on if we tried hard enough before asking for help is hard but worth the investment.
Don, thanks. Yes, actual successes does breed enthusiasm. It’s sometimes a long hard road and we have to keep up the motivation to do the hard work.
Thanks Matt. Yes, the reaction can sometimes go beyond frustrating. I’m not sure how I haven’t been punched yet – just lucky I guess. I’ve had to do this myself recently, on a project that wasn’t going as intended. I had to sit down and both realize that what I was doing wasn’t working (so why keep doing it, so I’m not) and that I needed to do some new things. I was on the bring of all-out abandonment until I did the analysis, and now I have a new strategy.
Don, thanks. Yes, actual successes does breed enthusiasm. It’s sometimes a long hard road and we have to keep up the motivation to do the hard work.
Thanks Matt. Yes, the reaction can sometimes go beyond frustrating. I’m not sure how I haven’t been punched yet – just lucky I guess. I’ve had to do this myself recently, on a project that wasn’t going as intended. I had to sit down and both realize that what I was doing wasn’t working (so why keep doing it, so I’m not) and that I needed to do some new things. I was on the bring of all-out abandonment until I did the analysis, and now I have a new strategy.
Don, thanks. Yes, actual successes does breed enthusiasm. It’s sometimes a long hard road and we have to keep up the motivation to do the hard work.
Thanks Matt. Yes, the reaction can sometimes go beyond frustrating. I’m not sure how I haven’t been punched yet – just lucky I guess. I’ve had to do this myself recently, on a project that wasn’t going as intended. I had to sit down and both realize that what I was doing wasn’t working (so why keep doing it, so I’m not) and that I needed to do some new things. I was on the bring of all-out abandonment until I did the analysis, and now I have a new strategy.
Great post and great points! Too often folks are ready to throw in the towel too early, looking for help or simply turning themselves into a victim. With others I ask a similar question and a follow-up, “What have you already done?” and “What’s something (else) within your control that you could do to affect the situation?”
On the flip side, I also often see folks who have tried numerous things and do need help but won’t ask for it. Just like so many things, these are the opposite swings of the pendulum, and we need to help strike a balance.
As for how do I make sure I put in enough effort before asking for help? I will now make it a conscious point…part of my standard work…to reflect before I do ask for help.
Great post and great points! Too often folks are ready to throw in the towel too early, looking for help or simply turning themselves into a victim. With others I ask a similar question and a follow-up, “What have you already done?” and “What’s something (else) within your control that you could do to affect the situation?”
On the flip side, I also often see folks who have tried numerous things and do need help but won’t ask for it. Just like so many things, these are the opposite swings of the pendulum, and we need to help strike a balance.
As for how do I make sure I put in enough effort before asking for help? I will now make it a conscious point…part of my standard work…to reflect before I do ask for help.
Great post and great points! Too often folks are ready to throw in the towel too early, looking for help or simply turning themselves into a victim. With others I ask a similar question and a follow-up, “What have you already done?” and “What’s something (else) within your control that you could do to affect the situation?”
On the flip side, I also often see folks who have tried numerous things and do need help but won’t ask for it. Just like so many things, these are the opposite swings of the pendulum, and we need to help strike a balance.
As for how do I make sure I put in enough effort before asking for help? I will now make it a conscious point…part of my standard work…to reflect before I do ask for help.
Great post. The idea that everyone needs to put in the best effort before asking for help is something see lacking in the next generation of leaders. With easy answers available through massive social networks and the internet, asking for help as gotten easier and more anonymous, which lessens the likely hood of an individual struggling with a problem to really put their best effort in first. I saw a recent HBR posting (http://blogs.hbr.org/bregman/2012/01/your-problem-isnt-motivation.html) on the difference between motivation and follow-through and felt this is very similar in that many people want to, or are motivated to, put their best effort into a problem but the follow-through is often lacking.
I believe utilizing the question you pose of “what have you tried and what was the result” is a question that can benefit each and everyone in any situation by initiating the process of self-evaluation on your effort.
Great post. The idea that everyone needs to put in the best effort before asking for help is something see lacking in the next generation of leaders. With easy answers available through massive social networks and the internet, asking for help as gotten easier and more anonymous, which lessens the likely hood of an individual struggling with a problem to really put their best effort in first. I saw a recent HBR posting (http://blogs.hbr.org/bregman/2012/01/your-problem-isnt-motivation.html) on the difference between motivation and follow-through and felt this is very similar in that many people want to, or are motivated to, put their best effort into a problem but the follow-through is often lacking.
I believe utilizing the question you pose of “what have you tried and what was the result” is a question that can benefit each and everyone in any situation by initiating the process of self-evaluation on your effort.
Great post. The idea that everyone needs to put in the best effort before asking for help is something see lacking in the next generation of leaders. With easy answers available through massive social networks and the internet, asking for help as gotten easier and more anonymous, which lessens the likely hood of an individual struggling with a problem to really put their best effort in first. I saw a recent HBR posting (http://blogs.hbr.org/bregman/2012/01/your-problem-isnt-motivation.html) on the difference between motivation and follow-through and felt this is very similar in that many people want to, or are motivated to, put their best effort into a problem but the follow-through is often lacking.
I believe utilizing the question you pose of “what have you tried and what was the result” is a question that can benefit each and everyone in any situation by initiating the process of self-evaluation on your effort.
Wesley, I saw that article and agree with it’s premise. We rely on good intentions and motivation to solve far too many problems, as if good intentions and motivation were missing. Often, it is about building the plans and systems to execute that motivation.
Wesley, I saw that article and agree with it’s premise. We rely on good intentions and motivation to solve far too many problems, as if good intentions and motivation were missing. Often, it is about building the plans and systems to execute that motivation.
Wesley, I saw that article and agree with it’s premise. We rely on good intentions and motivation to solve far too many problems, as if good intentions and motivation were missing. Often, it is about building the plans and systems to execute that motivation.