3 Lessons from a Three-Year-Old Armed with Scissors

As I lay in bed, sun barely making it’s way through the windows, I heard a peculiar noise.

Snip!

Thinking I was possibly in a half-asleep-half-awake state where dreams meld with consciousness, I didn’t give it much thought until...Snip!

What was that? Then a third...Snip!

As I hopped out of bed and then could hear the chatter of a young voice, and as I walked into the lounge room, I was greeted by a site you don't see everyday (thankfully)!

There stood my little boy Patty, standing in a pile of his own hair, with the scissors armed and ready for another blow. After disarming him from (a) an incredibly dangerous situation. and (b) a future career in hairdressing; I stood back to assess the damage.

Now they say it is only 2 weeks between a good haircut and a bad one, well I think this one might take closer to a month!

So why had Patrick awoken and decided today was a good day to take the shears to his little blonde locks? Only 12-15 hours previously Alison had discussed with Pat the need to cut his hair. So being a bit like his Dad, the little fellow decided to take matter into his own hands (or fingers)! 

This got me to thinking. Kids are so literal in their thinking aren’t they? When you say something, it means just that. But as we get older, we start to use more interpretation, context and hidden assumptions; the thing is, I am not sure we are much better off for this aspect of our maturity.

We could take some lessons of kids in the workplace I think; in particular the following three things:

1. Be more literal. 

Tell it as it is, and don't try and dress something up to be something it isn’t. One of the truly wonderful things about young kids is their absolute honesty. Too often as adults we bend the truth and reality to manipulate or influence a decision. Sure, our world cannot be viewed as black and white all the time, but our workplaces can often be filled with grey. The biggest problem with a grey environment? Storms usually accompany grey skies. 

2. Don’t hint

If you want something, here’s something novel; ask for it! So if you need someone to get off their backside and help you on that report, ask them, don’t beat around the bush or make subtle suggestions. Probably one bit of advice though; if you don’t get what you want, don’t throw yourself down on the ground and have a massive tantrum.

3. Ask for clarification

One thing kids do really well is ask questions. Lots of questions! I remember once wondering how many times Patty would ask the same question, so I decided to be quiet, not respond and see just how many times he would ask. Unfortunately I couldn't complete the experiment; after TWENTY SEVEN times of asking his persistence wore me down. Whilst I don't prescribe you stand outside of the CEO’s office and badger them mercilessly, I think we all could be a little more persistent about getting clear on direction.  

Postscript: Patrick is recovering well, and has been bribed with a new Thomas the Tank engine game to cut the remainder of his hair to a similar level. Dad has recovered well, but Mum is still grieving and will do so ‘for as long as she wants’.

Warm wishes, 

Darren and Alison