Assumptive growth
by Miki SaxonImage credit: sscharlo
More than 200 years ago Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe said, “Treat people as if they were what they ought to be and you help them to become what they are capable of being.”
A hundred years later Napoleon Hill said, “Think, act, walk and talk like the person you want to become and you will become that person.”
What these two great thinkers have in common is the positive use of assumption, but not assumption in a vacuum.
Assumptive management a la Goethe requires that you provide all the information necessary to attain the vision, coach as needed and be an active cheering section for accomplishments.
Personal growth a la Hill requires a clear vision of who/what you’re emulating. Yes, it’s easier with active support from those around you, but don’t let the lack of support hold you back—it’s achievable without it.
(Thanks to Phil Gerbyshak over at Slacker Manager for the Goethe quote.)
Do you use positive assumptive techniques at work or personally?
