There is an old Chinese proverb: “Tell me and I forget; Show me and I remember; Involve me and I understand.” The whole thing, I think, in dealing with change is how we can involve people. I think your intention should be to involve your people as much as you possibly can in how you are dealing with tough times. Just telling people something, and even trying to show them, doesn’t make as much difference as involving them. It doesn’t do good to do something to people; you have to do it with them. So involve people around you as you are dealing with different challenges. Life is a very special occasion if you realize you’re not alone. And as my friends Don Carew and Eunice Parisi-Carew have said for a long time, “None of us is as smart as all of us.”
3 thoughts on “Get People Involved”
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How We Lead 
Ken,
This is not just information, but it is Truth! It is a principle. The version I have used in training others, not as well-said as the proverb you quoted however, is:
Tell them, show them, let them do it.
Dear Mr. Ken,
Many thanks for the valuable info you are providing in this great website.
I have started reading your books three months ago. They are more than great. They have changed my professional and personal life.
I have a very big business and management library in my house. Last week I asked myself, if i were asked to choose only one collection of books to keep and to throw all the others, then which collection of books I will choose? My answer was Ken Blanchard books.
The secret in your books is that they are simple, direct to the mind and heart, based on facts that can be seen, heard and felt.
I really thank you for the great knowledge you have provided to society.
Your great quotations are always heard in my ears:
Profit is the applause you get for taking care of your customers by creating a motivating environment for your employees.
Non of us is as smart as all of us.
Raving fan customers, Gung Hu workplace, and then your cash register will go kaching kaching kaching.
Beutiful quote! I work as a consultant with strategic development but find myself work more and more with people in dialogue. Not fancy ideas, but the realizations of robust and creative (sometimes crazy) ideas thru people. I “failed my way to success” (think it was Eddisons quote). After way to many smart Powerpoints, way to few people who understand and does anything new and aligned. That has forced me to take another approach for several years and I love it.
Now the most frustrating thing is not how to align an organization, althou it is HARD work and heavy lifting. But the fact that so many organizations does change project, strategic development, business development and do not have the courage, energy and determination to follow thru. To a large extent that is in many cases my fault, inabilty to explain the benefits and other communication miss matches. But I hope I am not over critical when I say that there is a lot of change going on that only is creating wast and draining.
(sorry for my crappy English spelling, but I guess my English is better than you Swedish 😉