Finding Garcia! A Leader’s Tool in Creating a Culture of Contribution and Initiative
One of history’s oldest and most-read publications is an essay by Elbert Hubbard in 1899 called “A Message to Garcia.”
I first learned of it many years earlier during a leadership development course I attended, and its message of leadership, contribution, and initiative has remained very prevalent throughout my career as a manager, business owner, and now, as a senior employee in a management role.
The story’s moral is that a soldier (Rowan) was assigned to locate General Garcia during the war between Spain and the United States to deliver an important message without being given much direction or information other than his mission was critical. He must complete it for the United States to win the war.
I like to use this essay as a training and management tool because it is an excellent engagement tool. It creates an opportunity for an insightful dialogue between you and a team member about their views on problem-solving, responding to requests and tasks assigned by management, and insight into their beliefs about team collaboration.
I often feel I am the one gaining just as much as the team member who I’ve given the assignment of reading the essay because the article provides these insightful talking points:
- How could Rowan’s commanding officer be perceived as a poor leader who gave no direction or vision to his soldier?
- How a team member may be viewed as lazy or incompetent because they are waiting to be told exactly what to do and how to do it.
- How exhausting all your available resources will develop curiosity and self-confidence.
In today’s landscape of generational gaps, specifically the ongoing debate between Millennial and Gen Z work ethics, I’ve discovered that this is a very relevant exercise that encourages communication between leaders and team members while setting the stage for an understanding of office culture and communication.
Apply Principles to Our Team Culture
We have made “A Message to Garcia” part of our onboarding process as an assignment that includes a copy of the essay and a brief questionnaire on the team member’s interpretation and ideas of the story. The most valuable question for me is the first one, which asks for a one-paragraph summary of what the moral of the story is.
Our goal is to gain more information on the following:
- How comfortable is this person with taking the initiative?
- How willing is this person to give or receive help?
- What can I do to encourage a feeling of empowerment to seek answers or solutions?
Hearing a team member declare, “Where’s Garcia?” or share with me how proud they are of themselves that they did undoubtedly ‘find Garcia’ becomes a point of enjoyment and excitement. It is even more exciting to see our team members collaboratively innovate solutions and processes that become pathways to resolve issues for other employees, our patients, or our practice.
On a side note, it is essential to note that this essay comes with a controversial response and many different opinions from leadership and military experts. Please read the article, share it with your colleagues, and decide for yourself.
I’ve never experienced a negative conversation or response with anyone participating in this activity. When discussing their key takeaways, I always discover new values in how I can effectively lead and evolve as a manager.
About the Author
Jeannette Davidson, MAADOM
Jeannette Davidson is the Office Manager at The Kidds Place Dentistry for Children in Spokane, Washington, and has been a member of AADOM since 2020. She received her FAADOM in 2022 and MAADOM in 2024.
She began her role in dentistry later in life after making a life-changing decision to leave a 30-year career in sales, marketing, and business consulting. (Her current employer was a former client). Jeannette discovered the best of both worlds could exist by combining her non-dental experience with leading a fun and passionate pediatric dentistry team.
