The pervasiveness of myths

How pervasive myths are! I was recently asked by a manager how she could discipline two staff members who were no longer working for her. She had moved jobs and considered to be the best person to raise performance issues with them. We worked through the problem but at the end I reflected on the myths inherent in this situation which shaped the way she saw and reacted to the problem and how she perceived the two staff members would react - and probably did!

Remember, myths are unquestioned assumptions that limit the way we consider choices, hoodwinking us into believing other possibilities are not an option. In this scenario, the first myth was that because she was not their boss, she had no right to discipline them. If she had been, she would not have agonised over how to speak to them, their reactions, potential reaction of sound advice which, if she had been their boss, would have been seen very differently. The second myth no doubt would influence their receipt of the discipline - we might guess that comments like 'she has no right to say this! I don't have to listen!' - again, nothing to do with the content or purpose of the information - all a function of the myths and limitations surrounding how they receive the information.

Key point - myths limit and shape our world - they are socially constructed and as the example above indicates, they remove us from taking full responsibility for interpreting our understanding and choice of how to act.