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Don't Let the Kite Crash

April 30, 2002

"Intervention is needed whenever it becomes more difficult for a team member to deliver results, a circumstance that can easily be caused by a variety of factors.  Kite flying is a good metaphor for remembering how intervention works.  Imagine a kite in a strong wind.

What would happen if the kite went into a tailspin and you took no action?  The kite would be buffeted in the wind and eventually crash.

What would happen if you pulled really hard on the string?  The kite would go into a worse tailspin, or you might snap the string, or you could break the kite itself.

So what have kite flyers learned to do?  A gentle tug is all it takes to make the kite right itself.  Then they reel in the slack, stabilize the kite, maybe reel in a little more, and stabilize it again.  What's their mindset when they are doing this?  Let the kite back out as soon as possible.

What they don't do is reel it in all the way and start running.  And they don't yell at the kite, 'You had your chance; I'm doing the flying now!'  They give it the help it needs and let it back out.  That's the mindset you need to provide helpful intervention (Beck & Yeager, 2001, pp. 131-134)."

Reference:  Beck, J.D.W.; & Yeager, N.M. (2001).  The leader's window: mastering the four styles of leadership to build high-performing teams.  Palo Alto, CA: Davies-Black Publishing.

How high is your kite flying?

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Created: 2008-12-13, Updated: 2009-01-07