We learn early that the most difficult part of life is communication. It is a well-established fact that people tend to hear what we want to hear. But do we give this facet of our human nature the attention that is really deserves? I think that there is much room for improvement on this front. It is no mystery why employees tend to nod (or feign agreement) accepting the judgment and terms of their superiors in a concrete way. It is the power dynamic at play. Many employees fear their employers or at least they fear the consequences that a negative interaction might bring. But such fear does not lend to the most effective collaboration. In fact, good input is too often stifled in such a ill-controlled environment.
We might do better to take our cue from top performing NBA teams, where invariably good team effort results in a high percentage of assists and ultimately leads to more wins for the team.
So the question is what kind of relationship do we want to have with one another? Perhaps the more urgent consideration is that management and production employees ought to learn to take better care of each other. This begins with mutual recognition that everyone is best served when we tell each other the plain truth.
Now the main reason that companies have evolved to their present state is quite simply that in an environment where people are encouraged to speak their minds there will inevitably be conflict. It is a natural (but not a fixed trait) for beta’s and other types to avoid what feels like picking a fight, Especially one that they feel that they are likely to lose. Hence if we are to get the most out of our very capable teammates it is incumbent upon leaders to make an expectation that everyone bring their strongest play to the game. Such conflict must not be viewed as a negative; it must be reinvented as a necessary training exercise for the team to become a winning team.
So we owe it to the team to share facts as we understand them even if that other party might not be happy to hear. Reminding ourselves as a matter of process perhaps in the opening of every meeting “we tend to hear what we want to hear” should remind us to recognize that if we do not actively and consistently seek the truth than we accomplish nothing more than dooming ourselves to believe our own bull shit.
When it comes to guiding principles it is always better to permit as much autonomy as possible to allow people the room to bring their best creative efforts to their work. When we have good people, it is best to get out of their way and to let them shine.
I think the best way to avoid building an organization that resembles ineffective bureaucracy is to bring everyone into the rule making process. Yes I do mean everybody. From the guy who sweeps the floors to the CFO Let everyone have a fair vote in any change that will affect the company culture. And the first function of management should be the facilitation of that democratic process. The second function must be to enforce the rules. In this way anyone who breaks the rules makes himself a hypocrite as well as an iconoclast. But no one must be above the rules either. Any CEO who does not win the popular vote ought to step down and allow a better leader to take the helm.
Yes I realize that such an environment is radically different than what exists presently at most companies. Employers have little incentive to relinquish control where rigid systems produce marginal results that meet limp expectations. But I am convinced that better outcomes are almost certain when we pass the torch of ownership to every player giving him a stake in the outcome.
Now this kind of model is unlikely to be seen in larger publically traded companies where careers literally hinge on quarterly results, but it is certainly something to which we might aspire to in our privately owned enterprises. Ultimately we all fair better when we take good care of the whole pack. We really owe it to ourselves to provide a workplace that is not only safe from bodily hazards, but where we sufficiently value every individual’s need to have meaning and personal growth in their work. We should muster the courage to foster a place where every person feels free to speak the truth.
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