My nine-year-old son is struggling to learn to read. The connections aren’t happening yet. However, he has an advantage: he wants to learn, and he’s a hard worker.
My job: be patient, demanding, and encouraging.
Patient:
One page per session is his current limit. Parents often want quick results and get frustrated when children don’t perform as expected (trust me, I know). This is counterproductive. Every child learns at their own pace.
Demanding:
I insist that he tries to sound-out each word. I only step in for irregular words that can’t be sounded out (like “tight”).
He also needs to read with proper inflection, pausing at commas and periods.
Encouraging:
I assure him that one day it will all “click” (I know this because one of his brothers faced a similar challenge and now reads effortlessly).
I praise his hard work and dedication, and we celebrate when he gets a tough word right.
It’s slow going, but we’re confident that success is on the horizon. Soon, he’ll be reading fluently.
What does this have to do with you and your leadership?
Plenty. Your direct reports are at varying skill levels and need improvement in multiple areas.
Practice Patience. Be Demanding. Don’t forget to Encourage.
If they are ambitious and hardworking, they will excel.
