The Prodigal Executive Myth That You Can't Teach An Old Executive New Tricks

The proverb “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks” explains why people who have long been used to doing things in a particular way will not abandon their habits. This expression is often used in the workplace to describe how difficult it is for someone who has been doing something one way for a long time to learn how to do it a new way.

Here is some food for thought from my book, The Prodigal Executive. There is some scientific backing to this concept about an older person’s inability or lack of desire to learn about new and modern things.

A protein normally associated with the immune system could hold a clue to one of the great puzzles of neuroscience: why you can't teach old dogs new tricks. The Harvard medical School study, published in the journal Science, could even create hope for people suffering spinal cord injuries and brain damage.

Plasticity in the brain is its ability to rewire internal connections as a result of experience. Normally this plasticity is largely restricted to critical periods of development early in life, meaning puppies are more receptive to learning tricks.
Now Harvard researchers have shown that adult mice who lack a certain protein have brains that retain the plasticity of much younger mice. Put another way, mice that have protein are less able to make new connections (Science, Aug. 25 2006, “Learning Induces Long-Term Potentiation in the Hippocampus”).

Historically executive incompetence has been conceptualized in terms of a manager not having the characteristics of success (Bray and Howard, Longitudinal Studies of Adult Psychological Development, 1983). These included the tricks of being able to delegate, to maintain relationships with peers and direct reports, and to build a team.

However, I believe the notion that executives are set in their ways and unable to learn is just not true. My experience is working with top executives, helping the best of the best to get even better through some season of derailment. I have found that the best want to learn more so they can be the best that they can be.

So how do you teach these old dogs new tricks? You have to do it in small amounts so they get success along the way. You also need to help them see how these new skills will help them reach some higher goal they desire.

This reminds me of story of virtuoso violinist. An interviewer asked him, what is your number one regret? He replied, “I should have become the violinist I knew I could have become.”

The interviewer said in disbelief, “But you are the maestro of maestros, the best of the best.”

What the world-renowned violinist wanted was to be even better. Likewise executives. All top executives are success driven. They are constantly trying to get better at their craft and become all that they can be.

Take Peter, for example. Peter, president of a Fortune 500 subsidiary company, was the most creative genius I have ever met. His level of intuition and ability to analyze problems were superb. He was also one of the best negotiators I have ever seen. Peter picked up subtle nuances and would instantaneously have the perfect retort ready.

With all of those skills it was amazing why the corporate vice president of human resources invited me in to coach Peter.

Peter never listened to anybody who worked for him. He felt because he was the smartest person in room (no doubt true), listening just wasted time because he already knew what was best. Not surprisingly, there was a mass exodus of top talent from the company.

I coached Peter to listen using small steps. First, I just had him practice not talking for awhile while his subordinates spoke. Next we had him practice nodding while others spoke. Then, while going through the motions, something amazing happened. He actually heard what they were saying. “I sure learned a lot more listening than when I was talking.” For Peter, listening was a whole new trick and he continued doing it.