--- topic: [[Leading]] created: 2023-02-22 --- *When someone comes at you with a problem, your only job is to not take ownership of their problem.* This reminds me of [[Consulting skills]], making sure the ownership of the problem stays with the consultee. It's kind of like [[Power, For All]] asks you to remind yourself of your impermanence, so that you distribute the power effectively away from the people [[Leading]] to the people doing the work. This is an idea brought through HBR in 1974 which remains one of their most downloaded articles. The idea is that if you take their monkey, you have to bring the monkey back to your office. You will then be responsible for feeding, watering, petting, caring for their monkey. Pretty soon, you are overwhelmed with other people's monkeys, and have no space for your real work. This matters because [[Ego Is The Enemy]], in this case the monkey feeds your ego, tells you that you are important and matter. ##### What would the opposite argument be? %% tags: #note/statement | #on/consulting | #on/coaching | #on/leadership | #on/management | #on/learning %% ##### Sources: [[Power, For All]] Oncken, W., & Wass, D. L. (1999). Management Time: Who’s Got the Monkey? _Harvard Business Review_.