ABCs for Managers Who Lead – K is for Kindle

K is for Kindle
Photo credit: MSH Staff
     Photo credit: Warren Zelman

Kindle means to set alight or start to burn, to arouse or be aroused, to make or become bright. Think of a candle, a word to which it is related. Nowadays a Kindle is a thing, an electronic device for reading. When the people from Amazon designed the Kindle they didn’t come up with this name lightly. There was a vision behind the Kindle that appears to have been inspired by a quote from Voltaire: “The instruction we find in books is like fire. We fetch it from our neighbors, kindle it at home, communicate it to others and it becomes the property of all.”

There are many expressions that link fire to passion, enthusiasm and determination. For example, ‘firing someone up’ means to motivate someone; to make someone enthusiastic. When we talk about someone who has ‘fire in her belly,’ we mean that this person has a powerful sense of ambition or determination. If we take one more step away from the literal connection with fire we can also use kindle as a way to ‘grow’ someone’s talent by giving it fire, then ‘kindle’ it, not at home but in the workplace. How do we do that?

I like to think of kindling (the little sticks to start a fire) as questions. Each little stick is a question that creates a spark, initially, in the young person whose talents we want to kindle. When we mentor someone we look for those sparks.

Kindling well

Clarify with the person whose talents you see as ‘sparks to be kindled’ whether s/he wants your support.

If so, explore how: does your mentee want help to explore avenues for development? Does he want to be challenged or provoked? Does she want advice on books to read or courses to take? Does he want to try something new knowing that you are there to provide feedback and support? It is always better to align expectations upfront to avoid misunderstandings or disappointment later.

Look for opportunities for growth. We often call those ‘stretch assignments.’ They should create just a little bit of anxiety, enough to learn and not so much as to paralyze. Help break the assignment into manageable steps and offer support and feedback at each step. Although it may be tempting at times to correct or give advice, hold back a little. Too much support, too much feedback, too quick a correction undermine confidence rather than build it.

Celebrate small victories. These will add up to big victories, increased confidence, increased reputation and eventually the end of your kindling. Then it is time to light a fire elsewhere.

See for yourself

Video: Envisioning Community Development. In this video Amy Gibson tells about ways to propel a community into action by kindling its assets. Rather than passively waiting for outside expertise and resources to come in, this kind of asset-based community development helps people to recognize what they bring to the table and gets people to use those assets to create the kind of community they want.

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