32. Experiential Learning, Joy of Work, & Betty Crocker.

If you’re wondering how Betty Crocker found her way into an article about leadership and professional development, you’ll need to read the full length of this 30-ish for 30 post to find out. Consider this my poor attempt at #clickbait.

As I entered the workforce at Hewitt in 1990, I recall feeling a bit overwhelmed. I had not taken any classes at UF that would have taught me ERISA, 401k retirement rules, or how to use any of the technical programs (such as V3 for you Hewitt alums) that Hewitt leveraged for our clients. I was drinking from a firehose and every day would end with more questions than answers. Brad Anderson was the lead consultant on one of the larger clients I was supporting, and I found myself standing in his office, peppering him with questions throughout the day. Where can I find this? What does that mean? How do I reconcile these two reports? If he was annoyed by my constant stream of questions, he never showed it. Looking back, it was the manner in which he responded to my constant barrage of questions that has stuck with me throughout my career.

Brad understood a key component of learning, particularly experiential learning -- that the joy of work comes from experiencing it yourself. Rather than provide me with a simple answer that would have certainly pushed me out his door sooner, he would take the time to coach me and guide me to the resources that would provide me the answer. If I’m being honest, I was frustrated by Brad’s  approach, thinking to myself…wouldn’t it be easier for everyone if you just told me the answer vs having me spin my wheels searching for it? As I write this 30 years removed from that initial frustration, I am so incredibly appreciative that he provided me with an opportunity to understand that experiential learning is a key to development and success. Not only was my ability to retain the new information increased, but I found joy in the work because I was fully engaged in understanding the whats, hows, and whys behind it. Which leads us back to the Betty Crocker click-bait…

General Mills launched a new line of cake mixes in the 1950s under the already famous brand Betty Crocker. The idea was simple: the cake mixes included all the dry ingredients in the package, plus milk and eggs in powdered form.  All you needed was to add water, mix it all together, and stick the pan in the oven. For busy homemakers, it saved time and effort, and the recipe was virtually error-free. General Mills had a sure winner on its hands…or so they thought. Turns out that despite the many benefits of the new product, it did not sell well at all. Even the iconic and trusted Betty Crocker brand could not convince homemakers to adopt the new product. After conferring with nationally-recognized industry leaders and psychologists, General Mills determined the primary reason why the Betty Crocker cake mix struggled -- it lacked the joy of work. The process to bake was too simple. People felt guilty serving a delicious cake that tasted homemade, but wasn’t.

Brad Anderson must have known what the General Mills executives failed to initially understand: if something is produced too easily, you lose the joy of the work. Conversely, when you invest your valuable time to produce something, you gain a true sense of ownership. General Mills found this out the hard way as sales plummeted and their product was headed towards an abject failure. So, how did they solve this problem? They removed the powdered egg from the mix and asked the at-home chef to grab an egg from the refrigerator, crack it open, and add it to the powder mix. In doing so, they engaged the at-home cook in the process and through one simple addition, the joy of the work returned. Sales skyrocketed and easy-to-make cakes were served throughout the land. All because of a 5 second, simple modification – add an egg.

So, the next time you’re coaching someone and they come looking for the easy answer, be more like Betty Crocker and Brad Anderson -- guide them on where they can find the answer, but allow them to crack the egg themselves.