Parenting and Management Can Be Similar
Parents, have you briefly considered throttling your child?
Sometimes getting them to do simple life-sustaining things like eat, sleep, take a bath or drink water, can be so agonising that the thought crosses your mind…
Instead of throttling a child you probably end up bargaining with a child. “Just do x and then you can have y”
The way of the child is the way of people in general. It’s just working-age people you hope have grown up.
It Doesn’t Have To Be A Struggle
Contrast the day-to-day struggle of most parents in getting kids to school on time with kids losing their first tooth, which is actually new, uncomfortable and even sometimes painful.
Kids don’t throw a wobbly at all when losing a tooth. In fact, they relish it. Why?
The answer is: The Tooth Fairy Effect.
The Tooth Fairy Effect
Kids relish the opportunity to lose their first tooth (despite the real challenges this poses) because it stands for growing up (progress) and because the tooth fairy will give them a coin.
This coin (maximum $2) is enough to avert complete meltdown. Think about it. A coin. A small token of value in exchange for not having a meltdown over the 2-week process, that is losing a tooth.
The Tooth Fairy is a bargain!
The Tooth Fairy Effect At Work
At work, it’s possible to have challenges for grown-ups on a scale of kids losing their first tooth i.e. its new, it takes time, it hurts (a bit).
In these cases paying them a single coin might not be seen as value. But a massage on the other hand. Well, getting a massage from your boss says that says “thank you”. That says “we see your stress and care about reducing it”. That can make a difference.
The small token of value that is a 5-minute massage might be all you need to move your team through an event that requires them to be uncomfortable.
Of course you don’t have to use rewards like massage to manage grown-ups. After all you could argue they are being paid to do a job and aren’t kids (all good arguments).
But, there is no self-respecting parent that forgoes the value of the Tooth Fairy when managing kids losing their first tooth and there’s a reason why.
Angels Can Be Your Tooth Fairy
If you have something going on in your business where you could utilise the Tooth Fairy Effect at work then please Get In Touch 1300 662 022