Greetings from St. Louis, MO.
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Our next Leadership program begins Wednesday, April 30, 2008. For more information, visit www.workingleadership.com.
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“I’m not sure I know what you mean, bring value to a person’s thinking and their work. I know what it means, I guess, I am not sure how a Manager does that,” asked Ted.

“Do you bring value by telling a person what to do?” I replied.

“Well, I could make suggestions,” Ted answered. “But you are right. Technically, these guys run circles around me. I don’t know the technology and I don’t have their experience.”

“So, even if you did make suggestions, there is a high likelihood that you would be suggesting the wrong thing?”

Ted nodded his head.

“So, if these guys can technically run circles around you and have much more experience, then how can you, as their Manager, bring value to their thinking and their work?”

Ted was stumped.

“As their Manager, Ted, you don’t bring value by telling. You bring value by asking questions.” -TF