wooden puzzle.

If you walk into most Barnes & Noble bookstores, you'll find a section along the side by the magazines where they sell games. There are maps, Lego sets, role playing and board games, and an entire section dedicated to puzzles of all shapes and sizes. Some claim to be ancient from the ends of the earth, promising entertainment that has stumped generations.

My particular favorites are the interlocking three-dimensional objects that come apart or fit together by one means only. There are very few rules to these, each one is entirely unique in construction. They are made up of wood, metal, plastic... anything the creators felt would best suit to frustrate and bend your mind.

At work, each individual brings their own background, experiences, emotions, relational abilities and goals to the table. The challenge never gets easier. Our job as managers and leaders is to find out what motivates those we work alongside.

The only way to truly unlock those carefully guarded sections of each human's chemistry is to listen, ask the right questions, and watch to see what those around us respond the best to, then find ways to replicate that in the workplace. 

There is a time to assign tasks, bark orders, and make a list of "you will accomplish by". But that comes easy for many people who are good at their jobs.

What isn't so easy is remembering that everyone in the room isn't the same Rubik's cube with an algorithm of left and right wrist twists to win the game.

No, there isn't a single "How To" book that tells you how to solve each two and three-dimensional puzzle in the world. But there is usually a set of hints in the instruction booklet you get with each one. That's what we as leaders and managers need to be listening to, looking out for, and reading in each person we work with.

We just need to take the time and make sure that happens.