The Train and The Wheelbarrow (Lesson from Harvard's ManageMentor Course)

The Train and The Wheelbarrow: This is a lesson from the Harvard's ManageMentor course. In this lesson, we compare the manager and reportee with a train and wheelbarrow respectively. 

Consider these two images:








Case 1: The train and the wheelbarrow are aligned in opposite directions. 

The question to ask here is: Can the wheelbarrow go ahead in its direction? Can the reportee do what she wants to do?

The train represents the boss who might think that the North is the right direction. While the wheelbarrow is the reportee who thinks that the South is the right direction.

In this conflict, wheelbarrow cannot get ahead and will be pushed by the train in the opposite direction.

The results of this will be that the reportee representing the wheelbarrow will be dissatisfied and frustrated in this situation.

Case 2: The train and the wheelbarrow are aligned in same direction.

The question to ask here is: Does the wheelbarrow need to make any effort in order to go ahead in the direction it thinks is right?

The lesson is for the reportee: Try to align yourself with your boss and you will not have to make extra efforts to progress in your career.

Caveat: If the boss is in fact headed in the wrong direction then the best thing for reportee to do is to change the job.