Nudge, don’t Nail
Remove the nails from your toolkit
A Nudge: A gentle push with positive intent.
A Nail: Catching someone and proving that they are wrong.
In our careers, we all can relate to the feeling of being nudged or being nailed at some point. However, as leaders, what is our default leadership approach to our employees ?.
Ever since the Nudge theory was introduced in 2008 by Richard Thaler and Cass Sunstein, behavioural economics has become a magical tool for marketing professionals worldwide. How many of us leverage the real power of nudge?
A nail hurts
When we corner someone and prove a point, we are consciously or unconsciously nailing them down. A nail hurts. It leaves behind a scar forever. While using our role power, we might control our employees to a certain extent, but the person with a scar will remember the incident every time they see the mirror. The impact is long-lasting.
A nudge elevates
While a nail hurts, a nudge can transcend the perceived limitations and allow employees to achieve something they never thought they could. Unleashing the true potential has been a cliché in leadership for a long. Nudge is indeed a method to help an employee recognize the true protentional if used right.
Nudge is a Win-Win game.
A nudge works well when the leader has the big picture, and the goal seems impossible initially. If the leader is bold enough and ready to take the challenge, nudge is the method to achieve the mission. Allow the employees to think on their own and come up with suitable approaches to move ahead. By asking open-ended questions with the big picture in mind, we can inspire the employees to rethink and move towards the mission.
Recover from an accidental nail
We are not perfect. Under pressure or due to lack of time, we might jump the gun and nail someone. Yes, the scar will remain. But a quick apology and a nudge to move forward can help the employee not dwell on it for long and potentially leave a lighter scar!. When the employee looks at the scar in the future, they will also remember how the leader apologized and appreciate the sincerity. Not the best move, but the next best one.
Remove the nails from your toolkit!
We all know that a good leader should let go of his control and allow the employees to thrive independently. However, the leader’s insecurities and ego drive their emotions and prompt them to reach out frequently to their toolkit and pick up nails. Alternate approaches could be to leverage various nudge tools like organizational clarity, transparent decision-making process, and bringing operational visibility up.
Are you ready to replace the nails with nudges?
