Working Up

by Dwayne Phillips

If possible, assist instead of advise.

I worked in a government bureaucracy for over 25 years. A favorite practice to this day is the review board. Some unlucky and usually young engineer works really hard for weeks and then brings the work before a group of older engineers. The older engineers pick apart the work and send the hapless and demoralized young engineer back to the drawing board.

That is advising. It is characterized by the admonition

You should do…

I often suggested, and always in vain, a different method. After a day of thought, the young engineer stands before the review board and scribbles thoughts on a white board. The older engineers add thoughts and suggestions. And, this is the critical part that never happened in my experience, every older engineer that suggests something also agrees to work with the young engineer on the suggestion.

That is assisting. It is characterized by the words

Let us do…

Here is some advising:

1. You should rewrite your documents
2. You should have an external group of people, who you have never met, agree to do such-and-such
3. You should consult such-and-such a report to learn of new products

Note the use of the word you.

Here is some assisting:

1. I have some sample documents that we can edit for your project
2. I know people in an external group and I’ll introduce you to them and we can speak with them
3. I have a report that we can peruse together to learn of products

Note the use of the word we.

Yes, assisting requires more time and effort than advising. Yes, assisting is much more likely to yield good results. And yes, assisting will eventually accomplish the work using less time and resources.

No, assisting is not likely to happen in your organization either.