I am reading a book called “What is this thing called Theory of Constraint?” by Eli Goldratt. Eli Goldratt shot to fame with the book called “The Goal”. It is a book about the manufacturing industry in a novel format. I must have read it in 1997 or something. I loved the book as it was the first book about manufacturing which was written in a novel format.
In this book, “What is this thing called Theory of Constraint” he says, the novel became a best seller because he used the Socratic method in his dialogues. He said, this kind of narrative, made the readers feel they were solving the problems, faced by the protagonist on the factory floor. The readers were always thinking a couple of steps ahead of the author. He says, he never intended to use the Socratic method, but somehow the novel had this style.
Socratic Method is a form of critical thinking. It encourages the reader to think critically, ever heard the phrase, ask why, why, why, till you reach the “I”. The “I” is the solution to the problem, call it alleviating the constraint so that the bottlenecks are eased and the plant can meet its manufacturing capacities.
The whole premise is that the Socratic method of critical thinking transfers the ownership of the idea from the leader to the workers or followers. When an agent (employee) feels empowered, he/she will feel motivated to act as an owner and this solves the agent/principle problem also.
In case you don’t know, the agent/principal is the problem where the employee/child/follower is the agent and the principal is the leader/parent/Boss. This problem arises cause the employee/children/follower don’t feel aligned with the Goal of the leader/Boss/Parent and they are ordered to follow the directions.
The agent’s principal problem is overcome by the Socratic method.
Problems with the Socratic method
I am still not sure, how to go about writing in a Socratic style or talk to a subordinate. I feel people just hate you for making them think. Thinking is hard work. In our country we don’t have the luxury to think, we are happy to follow the leader. We are also, at ease with dishonesty as long as things are going as per our agenda.