Want Solutions? Tell People The 'Why'.Anyone familiar with this scenario?Parent to Kid: I want you to clean your room this afternoon.Kid to Parent: Why?Parent to Kid: Because I said so, that is why.....just do it.Let's be honest -- there is a good chance that most of you have likely played both roles at one time or another in your life. When you were the kid, you hated when your parents said that. But then you grew up and realized how effective this can be in some situations to shut down potential whining and negotiations when you just want a task completed.This type of management actually has a name: it's called "command and control."As the name implies, it is all based on hierarchy and power -- the person in command is supposed to do the thinking and the person under their control is supposed to complete the task as told.This can be effective when you are under a tight deadline or the primary objective is to complete a well defined task in a very specific time frame (or, as many of you know, when you have an overly argumentative kid). It gives the commander the ability to feel like they have complete control of the outcome. But the person completing the task? They feel like that are just a tool to get it done -- that is all.Most of the time, particularly on teams and in business, we know that tasks are not simple or tightly defined. And if you are trying to achieve a goal, you usually have more problems to solve than tasks to complete. You need everyone aligned and to be stakeholders in the outcome in order to be successful. This is where the "why" is so important.People generally want to know the "why" so that they can also have a sense of ownership over the outcome. They want to help solve problems. They want to feel like they are an important part of the team and take pride in the success. Good leaders understand this. In many ways it's what separates leaders from managers. They trust the people they are leading by freely sharing with them context when presenting a problem that needs to be solved because they understand that the outcome has the potential to be better for everyone if they do so.Tasks are tactical. Solutions are strategic. Completion of tasks may give leaders what they think they want, but solutions have the ability to give them what they and the team ultimately need.Show me someone who routinely expects solutions without providing context to those they are supposed to be leading, and I will show you a frustrated manager with a long to-do list that never gets done.But show me someone who has a team that consistently exceeds expectations, I will show you a leader that goes out of their way to be transparent, provide context to those around them and proactively share the "why." They know that by simply doing this is where the magic can happen.Now, since we are Friends, I'm going to level with you -- I was going to try to wrap this up by sharing a revision of the opening scenario where the parent provided the "why" (something contrived about a fun dinner with company that week) and the kid not only offered to clean their room, but also happily offered to help clean elsewhere.Anyone who has kids knows, this would have been complete BS....No matter how much "why" you give, we all know that "because I said so" is where this would have ultimately landed.....it always does....Some good reads for you this week (particularly the "Last Word") -- I want you to take some time to check them out....why? Because I said so. :)XOXODave