We Teach

I was listening to a teacher asking parents some questions in regard to how their children learn. He asked them: “How does a child learn how to ride a bike? We teach. How does a child learn how to do math? We teach.”

He then asked the parents if this sounded familiar: “This is the third time I told you to not do that. “Stop wiggling and sit still.” He explained that when a child doesn’t seem to be listening, and to help them learn how, we don’t keep nagging, we teach.

While the teacher’s talk was geared to help parents, I think that as an industry, to help tow operators with safety out on the roadways, help managers with leadership skills, help dispatchers with dealing with unhappy or angry customers, etc., we teach.

How often when you become frustrated with someone because they didn’t do something the way you wanted, or the way you thought it should be done? Did you assume they just didn’t want to do it? You know what they say when using the word assume, right? It makes an ass out of you and me. Perhaps they didn’t know how to do it. This would be an opportunity where we teach.

While at the Florida Tow Show this year, my three-year-old granddaughter had a full-blown meltdown. I was beyond frustrated, as everything I said or did to try and calm her down seemed to just make it worse for both of us.A fellow tower came over, bent down to her and calmly said, “Hey, let’s use your words.”

Getting down to her level and his calm demeanor worked like magic. It was a moment for me where — we teach.