There is a story: A farmer was training an ox to plow fields. To keep the ox in check, the son stayed behind to steady the plow while the elderly father walked in front holding the rope, controlling the ox from both sides. To ensure the father remained focused, whenever the son shouted, "Dad, go!", the father would step forward, and the ox would obediently follow.
After some time, they thought that since the ox was a smart and capable animal, it should be able to work independently after a few days of training. One day, the son harnessed the ox as usual and tried to let it complete the task alone. To his surprise, no matter how much he shouted or struck it, the ox remained motionless. In desperation, the son yelled, "Dad, go!" and the ox immediately, obediently, walked forward.
It turns out the ox wasn't stupid; it had simply developed a mental fixation, treating the command "Dad, go!" as its work instruction. Changing such a mindset and making the ox respond to new commands was no easy task!
This story teaches us: if the method of requesting something from others is improper, it can cause misunderstandings and significantly reduce effectiveness. Sometimes, people may already be performing excellently, but because the testing method or the initial way of giving instructions has changed, they may struggle to adapt and fail to break free from their fixed mindsets. Therefore, we should not blame others for a lack of progress without considering this.
This applies to daily life and work as well. For instance, when the school bell rings and a teacher enters the classroom saying, "Class begins," students stand up to greet the teacher. If one day the teacher enters and uses a hand gesture instead, the students might look at each other and remain seated. Can you blame them for being rude?
The same goes for sports. Athletes are trained to start running at the sound of a starting pistol. If, at a critical moment, the command is changed to a broadcast saying, "Start... running," the result is predictable. Can you judge the last athlete to cross the finish line as the least capable?
In the workplace, it is even more evident. A company once tried to test the mental flexibility of applicants. The job advertisement specifically stated that the interview would consist of random Q&A. However, during the actual interview, they tested practical operational skills. Because the applicants were unprepared, their performance was underwhelming. One rejected candidate was later hired by a competitor, where his innovative plans brought great reputation to the new firm. His success proved his capability, leaving the original company full of regret.
Therefore, before making demands of others, we should think about choosing the most appropriate method and consistently applying it during testing. Only then can we effectively select the best among peers.
