2. What values did you get from the lesson Robin Hood and Maid Marian?
Answers
A lot, actually. Based on old ballads and updated for centuries, the story tells of Robert of Huntington, a minor noble who runs afoul of the local Sheriff of Nottingham. His story of skill and determination are as relevant to modern managerial techniques as they are to forest-dwelling archers. Let’s see how.
Prince John cruelly increases taxes, which the poor villagers cannot pay. Robin comes up with a plan: He and his Merry Men will rob the oppressing nobles and their overlord Prince John and give their wealth to the poor.
As a manager the most important action item is to have a clear plan—or at least a goal that the plan will get them to. And like Robin Hood, you need to inform your team what that plan is, even if you don’t give them all the details.
Kymberli Morris, project manager for a Fortune 500 company says, “Having a clear plan helps me manage, because I am able to ensure everyone on my team understands the greater goal; understand to what objective we are all working; understands the role he or she plays in the grand scheme of things. [I]t helps everyone on the team truly see how their contribution is a valid, valuable part of whatever it is we are undertaking at that time.
"At the risk of using corporate doublespeak, it really does make sure we are all on the same page and moving in the same direction. This is critical if any project is going to succeed."
Robin encounters Little John (and is defeated by him) and Friar Tuck (and fights to a draw with him). Robin, instead of feeling intimidated by these men, recognizes their talent. He asks them both to join him in his fight against the Sheriff of Nottingham.
Not that a good manager lets her staff beat the tar out of her…but any manager worth her job finds the best people for every tasks and finds a way to harness their skills for the good of the team.
Dindy Robinson, HR Director for a higher education institution in Fort Worth, says, “It is so important to know the individual abilities of each member of your staff. And if you can use those to complement each other, it strengthens your entire team."
Morris says, “Not everyone is good at everything. Not everyone enjoys everything. When I work with a team, I always try to ask my staff individually what it is they like, what it is they are interested in, and what it is they feel they have an aptitude to do. Then, as much as possible, I redistribute the work accordingly so that people do things that either interest them or at which they excel.”
Thus the manager’s chief skill is recognizing the skills of others and channeling them. Just like Robin Hood.