Jim Christenson is an APPA member emeritus and can be reached at jchriste@jackelec.com.

Do not judge any man until you have walked two moons in his moccasins.
—Native American saying

      When I was in the Republic of Vietnam nearly 40 years ago, a U.S. Air Force captain showed me his General’s Notebook.” My friend was making notes on his reactions to the words and actions of his superiors. It didn’t matter whether he was pleased or disappointed by his superiors. He recorded it all in his notebook. You see, he intended to be a general someday. And he wanted to be the best general he could be.

      In November of 1959, John Howard Griffin, the Caucasian novelist, underwent medical treatments to change his skin color to black. For more than five weeks he walked, hitchhiked, and rode buses through the Deep South in an attempt to understand what it would be like to be African-American at that time in that region. His book, Black Like Me, documents what he experienced and how he reacted during those days and in the months
that followed.

   The booklet Walk Awhile in My Shoes by Eric Harvey and Steve Ventura can be read from the front or, when flipped, from the back. In one case, the words are from a manager to an employee; in the other, it is the
employee speaking to his manager. Both hope the other will learn what it is like to walk in their shoes. The message on each page of the center spread is the same: “With more understanding we can meet in the middle and walk the rest of the way together.”

     Tom Peters, co-author of A Passion for Excellence and In Search of Excellence, advocated management by wandering around (MBWA). He found that this practice paid enormous dividends for those executives who practiced it.

     Kenneth Blanchard and Spencer Johnson, authors of The One Minute Manager, had this advice for leaders and managers: Sneak around the workplace so you can catch people doing something right. Then praise them.

     There is a common thread here. It must be an important one, since so many speak with one voice. Stephen Covey, author of The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, sums it up in his fifth “habit” where he urges us to “Seek first to understand…then to be understood.” We talk endlessly about serving our
customers well, supporting the mission of the institution, supporting the facilities
people on the front line, and making sure our suppliers serve us well. How can
the leaders of the organization know what actions contribute to those objectives?
Perhaps the answer lies in seeking first to understand. Or, to use the medical
profession’s advice, don’t prescribe until you’ve diagnosed.

The Application
     We cannot understand fully what is needed until we experience what our customer, president, staff member, or supplier experiences. But we can come close if we really try to understand the forces that person or group faces, their environment, and the resources they have to work with. In most cases, this must start with listening. Listening is only useful, however, if the person talking trusts the listener. If the talker is a front-line employee, he or she will not say anything that will aid understanding if the leader has a reputation for “killing the messenger”—or for lesser degrees of injury or humiliation. The leader must establish a reputation for empathetic, respectful, and, as necessary, confidential listening, acting on good ideas whatever the source, risk tolerance, and walking
the talk.

     Empathy implies that one is able to (and does) vicariously experience the feelings and thoughts of another. Have you ever really stepped outside your leadership role far enough to see and hear your grand pronouncements as a custodian, carpenter, or boiler operator might perceive them? Or, if you were in their shoes, how would you react when the chief facilities officer talks about downsizing, reengineering, or restructuring? How much would the productivity of employees improve when they are told that there “are going to be big changes around here” but not told much about what the changes are or why they are being made? If you have established credibility with the members of your organization, it is an eye-opener to ask some of them with the most longevity what they think of the plan you worked on until 1:00 a.m. every night for the past week. Their words may hurt your ego. But if you understand their reaction and add that to your reservoir of acquired wisdom, it may greatly help the organization.

    Everyone wants to be treated as a person with value—a person worthy of respect. There is an amazing variety of ways to show disrespect—to “dis” members of your staff. These include making promises that are not kept;
showing or implying that you don’t trust them; micromanaging; telling them what’s good for them; and failing to consult with them on issues where their views can make their work environment better.

     Are you willing to try the good ideas of your staff? Or are you too comfortable with “the way it has always been done?” A successful leader is willing to take risks to improve organizational performance. In fact, “risk-adverse leader” is an oxymoron.

    Much has been said about “walking the talk” or “practicing what we preach.” As leaders you know that all eyes are on you. You may have very good reasons for doing something that is contrary to your expectations of others. But these reasons will never see the light of day. The deed will not only be fully reported. It will take on the form of a legend with interesting additions. Walking the talk is one way to show loyalty to your staff and is essential to your credibility.

     Much of this applies to customers, to the administration, and to suppliers. The better you understand their environment, the better you can serve them and the better they can support you when needed. Here, too, understanding blossoms best after credibility has been established by keeping promises, being trustworthy, and showing respect. These are character traits that we should continuously cultivate. If we have done that, we
have made a great start on progressively increasing our understanding of our stakeholders. That, in turn, helps us lead more wisely.