The foremen and range bosses of the Old West cattle drives, as they forged the American West, faced the same people management challenges we face today - getting a team of people motivated and directed toward a common goal each day. Yet they had far greater environmental challenges and far less resources and management training. How did they do it? They had "Saddle Sense" - a blend of confidence, personal resolve, and the ability to build and maintain trusting relationships. It wasn't rocket science then, and it ain't now. You'll be captivated by Mike's collection of original cowboy story poems that help to illustrate the point of each chapter in this very entertaining and insightful look at how the simple management and leadership principles that worked over 100 years ago still work today.
Ridin’ On Solid Ground
Some three years back, I guess it was the boss man hired young Seth. It quickly was apparent that he stood out from the rest.
He seemed to learn things quickly and always stood his ground. Regardless of how bad things got he seldom ever frowned.
The other cowboys liked him, said he was a friendly sort. And he always stood right there in front when the boss-man held his court.
The foreman on the fence crew took a job at the big feed lot, which got the boss to wonderin’ who he’d choose to fill that spot.
Of all Seth’s good habits, the boss had taken note. And Seth was on the short list when he chose who he’d promote.
He spoke to Seth and told him what this new job would entail. And Seth said, “I can handle it! I promise, I’ll not fail.”
So off he went to manage this new crew he was to lead. But soon he found that managin’ was a challenge, yes indeed.
At first, it seemed that most the men would follow Seth’s commands. But then he started noticin’ a change among his hands.
The ones who would confide in him and chat throughout the day now seemed a little distant - didn’t have too much to say.
The mental toll caused by this change left him feeling he’d been beat. It was like the ground he stood upon was crumbling ‘neath his feet.
He couldn’t hardly figure out why things had took a dip. It was like someone was sabotagin’ his relationships.
So he went to talk to Freckles, the camp cook – old and wise, to see if he could help him find a cure to his demise.
He explained how in the last six months that things had really changed. “It’s like they see me different than they did the day I came.”
Ol’ Freckles listened patiently to Seth’s heart-felt concerns. But all along he knew the lesson Seth would have to learn.
He said, “Seth, do you remember back about six weeks or so, when Tommy asked for Friday off and you said you’d let him know?”
“I do, I think, remember that. He never asked again. I figured he’d just changed his mind when Friday he came in.”
“That weren’t the case at all, you see. His son shipped out that day. But Tommy wouldn’t miss no work unless you said, Okay.”
“Now think on back, the week before when Buck’s strand pliers broke. He said he needed new ones, which you treated like a joke.”
“Then later on you told him his new pliers were on the way. He told me over chuck last night he ain’t seen ‘em to this day.”
“I plum forgot them blasted pliers. I’ll get them in the morn.” Ol’ Freckles said, “That’s great, but now his trust in you is torn.”
“I hate to keep on tellin’ you these tales of where you failed. But ‘til you see their point of view you never will prevail.”
“A week ago last Saturday the boss got all upset because the creekside pasture fence had not been patched up yet.”
“He was wound up like an eight-day clock and gnawin’ on your crew because they didn’t do a job you’d told ‘em not to do!”
“The problem was that you stood back and let them take the heat. You should have told the boss, 'You should be gnawin’ on MY seat.'”
“If they don’t see you takin’ charge and standin’ up for them, the chances that they’ll have respect for you are mighty slim.”
“And when you tell a man that you will take care of his needs, he’ll never measure by your words but always by your deeds.”
“It’s building trust that makes the men respect you more each day. And building trust requires you always back up what you say.”
“Just keep your word and do your best to never let them down, and then you’ll see how good it feels to ride on solid ground.”
Close your eyes for a moment and picture the person you trust most in the whole world. Now picture a conversation between you and that person where you have a want or need that you make known to him and he agrees to take care of that want or need for you. Have you the slightest doubt it will be taken care of? Why not? It’s because that person has your complete trust. And how did he gain your complete trust? More than likely, it was by demonstrating over the course of time that he is worthy of that trust. When you take on the role of a leader, you begin your journey of trust-building. You may have a head start if you have already established some form of relationship with the people who you will be leading. Hopefully, if you do have a prior history with these folks, it includes plenty of instances of your demonstrating personal integrity and trustworthy habits. Otherwise, you will be fighting an uphill battle. People inherently expect their boss (a word for which I personally have great distaste – I prefer the word “leader”) to be trustworthy and confidential with private information. Many managers meet their own demise in this area. Workers will always judge their managers more by their deeds than by their words, unless the words are spoken in violation of what was considered to be strict confidence. It is of the greatest importance that managers understand this simple principle – that information granted in confidence must remain in confidence, or at least be dealt with very discreetly, or trust is undermined. Similarly, when a manager offers to take care of the needs of a team member, the expectation of follow-through is automatic. The team member doesn’t have any desire, much less obligation, to follow up to see if the commitment is being honored. It is just assumed that the need will be met. After all, it was the supervisor or manager (you know, the one who is honest, trustworthy, dependable, consistent, and fair) who made the commitment. So if the commitment is not honored or if it is unreasonably delayed without explanation, trust is undermined, and the undermining of trust is a cardinal sin of leadership.
About Mike Purcell
Mike Purcell is a professional speaker and human resource trainer who is also a student of the world of human interaction. He has artfully combined his professional talents with his love for Old West history into this common-sense look at managing people and relationships. You'll be entertained by the collection of his original cowboy poetry and captivated by his down-to-earth approach to a subject that has perhaps been overly complicated in recent decades. So saddle up for a truly enjoyable and inspiring ride!
The foremen and range bosses of the Old West cattle drives, as they forged the American West, faced the same people management challenges we face today - getting a team of people motivated and directed toward a common goal each day. Yet they had far greater environmental challenges and far less resources and management training. How did they do it? They had "Saddle Sense" - a blend of confidence, personal resolve, and the ability to build and maintain trusting relationships. It wasn't rocket science then, and it ain't now. You'll be captivated by Mike's collection of original cowboy story poems that help to illustrate the point of each chapter in this very entertaining and insightful look at how the simple management and leadership principles that worked over 100 years ago still work today.
Mike Purcell is a professional speaker and human resource trainer who is also a student of the world of human interaction. He has artfully combined his professional talents with his love for Old West history into this common-sense look at managing people and relationships. You'll be entertained by the collection of his original cowboy poetry and captivated by his down-to-earth approach to a subject that has perhaps been overly complicated in recent decades. So saddle up for a truly enjoyable and inspiring ride!