There is a well-known story about three stonemasons that is often used to illustrate how people find meaning in their work.
One day, a traveler came across three stonemasons working by the roadside and asked each of them:
“What are you doing?”
The first stonemason replied:
“I’m cutting stones because my master told me to.”
The second stonemason replied:
“I’m improving my skills because I want to become the best stonemason in the country.”
The third stonemason replied:
“I’m building a church that will bring comfort and inspiration to many people.”
These three answers represent three different ways of finding meaning in work:
- The first sees work simply as something to do as instructed in order to earn a living.
- The second sees work as an opportunity to develop professional skills and become a better craftsman.
- The third sees work as a way to contribute something meaningful to society.
The first stonemason is, of course, the one who appears to have the strongest sense of simply being told what to do.
However, while this story focuses mainly on the individual's mindset, in the real world, both the people giving instructions and the people receiving them need to pay attention to this issue.
● Are Those Giving Instructions Creating a “Just Do What You’re Told” Culture?
1) Are You Giving Too Many Detailed Instructions?
You may want your employees to take initiative, but if you give overly detailed instructions through manuals, written procedures, and other guidelines,
employees may end up simply following instructions like robots.
This can create a sense that they are just doing what they are told, rather than thinking and acting for themselves.
In the worst case, continuously giving overly detailed instructions can actually cause frontline employees to stop thinking for themselves.
This is something to be careful about.
2) Are You Giving Too Many Instructions at Once?
Frontline employees already have a great deal to deal with, including sales initiatives, cost optimization, internal communication, labor management, and many other responsibilities.
It is therefore extremely important to provide instructions in a way that is realistic, efficient, and allows frontline employees to stay focused on serving customers.
It is also important to listen to the voices of frontline employees and work together to create a better system.
● Those Receiving Instructions Should Also Take Initiative
1) Are You Using the Feeling of “Just Doing What I’m Told” as an Excuse for Not Getting Things Done?
When frontline employees say they feel like they are simply being told what to do, try asking questions such as:
“What would you like to do?”
or
“What other approach do you think we could take?”
There is rarely only one correct way to accomplish a task.
Therefore, it is important for the people giving instructions and those receiving them to think together about how the work should be done.
At the same time, employees who receive instructions need to develop the habit of thinking for themselves so that they can confidently express their own opinions.
2) Can the Store Manager Clearly Describe What Kind of Store They Want to Create?
Whether a company operates three stores, twenty stores, or one hundred stores, the character of each store is strongly influenced by the individual store manager.
If a store manager works with the feeling that they are simply being told what to do, that feeling can spread throughout the store.
The entire store can eventually become a place where employees feel that they are just following orders.
To avoid this, the store manager should first put into words what kind of store they want to create and then communicate that vision to their staff in their own words.
This is an important part of creating a store where employees can take ownership and act proactively.
Can you hear the voice of “I’m just doing what I’m told” coming from your store?
