Working Up

by Dwayne Phillips

Sometimes the better type of improvement is when all the other people improve. That tends to help me improve, too.

This is about working with others in a manner that they become smarter and better. Some would describe this as leadership, but often I think of leadership dedicated to the designated leader like the team leader or department head or CEO or some job like that. Instead, this is about doing little things everyday that cause others to do smarter things and do them better.

One example: I would walk around everyday to check on everyone on the things they were doing. Someone else starting walking around with me. They learned what everyone was doing and, more importantly, who everyone else was. This other person had improved their ability. That improvement made me and everyone else more capable.

Another example: I posted a large diagram of our information system on a wall next to the coffee pot—a common gathering place. Little by little, people learned of the available resources. Little by little, people corrected the diagram by writing on it and showing me my mistakes. We all became smarter. We all improved. I improved at the same time as the other persons improved. That wasn’t “leadership,” it was something else. I will let others find a good word for it.

In both cases, learning occurred. No one was a formal teacher, but the situation allowed some people to teach on some occasions and learn during all occasions. Creating those situations isn’t easy, but it is possible and likely with some effort and good intentions. Find those situations. We can do better.