The ability to get a lot of people on board and united behind a common goal is what separates leaders from followers. It is indeed a talent that must be strategically honed and developed.
And while persuading folks to support an idea is very important, getting people to actually execute the idea while working with each other is a whole other skill set. You often hear it referred to as “herding cats” to emphasize that it can be extremely difficult and can at times feel impossible.
Just finding a meeting time when everyone is free can be a challenge. People have different schedules, they forget to respond to emails, or they have personal things that come up at the last minute. It’s a given that at least one person will show up late or unprepared. Others may question the agenda and lead the group on a tangent that is unrelated to the goal of the meeting.
It’s just the nature of working with a group of humans. This is especially true if it’s a new group that hasn’t yet normed the group’s behaviors and expectations.
Whether you are a company manager or a PTO president, knowing how to get a large group of people to walk in step with each other and execute goals is essential.
To get your herding skills up to speed, it can help to first understand why it’s so difficult. While some animals like cows and sheep are easily herdable, human beings are more like cats when it comes to working as a group. There are several reasons why:
Humans have individual autonomy and free will: We can be inherently defensive when we are told what to do. We value our independence and don’t like feeling coerced. We are especially sensitive to efforts that we believe threaten our freedom.
We all have different motivations and conflicting priorities: While several people can be in support of a goal, their reasons for involvement may differ widely. A member of a neighborhood clean-up committee, for example, may participate because they don’t like the sight of litter in the area, because they don’t want property values to decline, or because they care about the environment.
We process information differently: How we take in information and conceptualize ideas varies. Some of us are very linear and need to move through each sequential step. Others approach problems more creatively, exploring various angles before deciding on a plan of action. How we assimilate information also influences how we communicate and this can lead to disconnect with our colleagues or miscommunications.
We bring different life experiences to the project: Our personal history influences our views on what is important and how the process of working together should look. Past experiences working in groups can shape the kind of mindset and energy we bring to the collaboration.
Next week we will give you some specific tips for getting your group to work together and achieve a goal.
Until then, enjoy this video about how herding cats looks in the real world. With real cats. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNfLcXPc0ZY&ab_channel=Discovery
Photo by The Lucky Neko on Unsplash
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