Managing the myth of “Common Sense”
Quick Answer: Common sense at work is a myth because there is no SENSE and no COMMONALITY among people. Robert S. Chun argues that managers get better results by accepting people as they are, whether Zombies, Adders, Sub-tractors, or aliens, and by practicing what he calls Effective Supervision instead of hoping for common sense.
The Request I Hear Most Often
For the past 19 years, almost each and every client that has come to me has asked me for something simple. They have simply asked for people with common sense. The problem is that there is no SENSE and there is no COMMONALITY whatsoever.
Why Common Sense at Work Is a Myth
So how can you be more effective? You will be more effective if you accept that the world is filled with people who are for all intents and purposes Zombies, Adders, Sub-tractors, and aliens from Mars, Venus and Jupiter.
Zombies follow orders without thinking how they impact people. Some are life draining.
Adders add new instructions to what you ask to be done.
Sub-tractors delete instructions to the point where results are meaningless.
Aliens are literally from other countries and cannot speak the same language, let alone have a skill set required.
Martians are so male oriented to the point that they do not listen from the heart and can only hear words. All they care about? Results Über Alles, results over everything, at any cost.
Venusians are so alienated from the results that they only care about the process, not results.
Jovians, those from Jupiter, are so powerful and heavy that they overpower everyone verbally and physically, bordering on abuse.
Living in the Jungle of Humanity
So how will you live in this jungle of humanity? How can you function in it?
By building your code of interaction I call Effective Supervision. This is easy to speak about but hard to practice. It is a skill that must be practiced over and over and over again. In effective supervision, one must learn to instruct people to take action WITH a time by when it should be done. Not only that, they have to be told in advance that they will be inspected and followed up at as they do the work.
The Hard Part: Correcting Mid-Task
Now comes the hard part.
They have to be told that you are going to correct them and train them before they finish, yup, in the middle.
Zombies have to correct and apologize for their life sucking.
Adders have to delete the extra work they did. Yes, more work for them and you.
Sub-tractors get to do and finish the missing piece.
Aliens, Martians and Venusians have to learn to speak new languages and care, or pretend enough.
Jovians need to realize and understand how powerful they are and use their verbal and physical powers sparingly.
Why They Will Change
Why will they do this? Because you will not only follow up but acknowledge them for work when it's done and they report to you, or you will be tracking them down like the hunter that you are. Remember, out of your caring and training you may end up with the greatest prize of all, a Caring Human Being with Un-common Sense.
If you are able to work with them and not make them wrong, you may save a life and make life sane, your own.
Written by Robert S. Chun / Edited by Vwodek Wojczynski
- Common sense at work is a myth: there is no SENSE and no COMMONALITY among the people you manage.
- People show up as different types, Zombies, Adders, Sub-tractors, and aliens from Mars, Venus and Jupiter, each needing a different approach.
- Effective Supervision means giving instructions with a clear deadline and telling people in advance they will be inspected and followed up on.
- The hard part is correcting and training people mid-task, before they finish, not after.
- Consistent follow-up and acknowledgment turns difficult employees into what Robert calls a Caring Human Being with Un-common Sense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does Robert S. Chun say common sense at work is a myth?
Because clients keep asking him for people with common sense, but there is no SENSE and no COMMONALITY among people. Everyone processes instructions differently, which is why relying on common sense fails.
What are the employee types Robert describes?
He describes Zombies, who follow orders without thinking of impact, Adders, who tack on extra instructions, Sub-tractors, who drop parts of instructions, and Martians, Venusians, and Jovians, who differ in how they relate to results, process, and power.
What is Effective Supervision?
It is Robert's code of interaction for managing all these types. It means instructing people to take action with a specific time by when it should be done, telling them in advance they will be inspected and followed up on, and correcting them mid-task rather than waiting until they finish.
How do you get difficult employees to change?
By following up consistently and acknowledging their work when it is done, or tracking them down when it isn't. Correcting and training without making the person wrong is what can turn them into what Robert calls a Caring Human Being with Un-common Sense.