Lurking Beneath the Surface of Organizations

A watch list for intrepid leaders.

Management consultant and professor Michael LeBoeuf’s “Greatest Management Principle in the World” was simple and true:

“That which is rewarded gets done.”

The tricky part of that rule is that unless leadership is seriously introspective and willing to challenge policies and practices, questionable or poor conduct is often rewarded.

While advising on a wide range of leadership, management, and supervisory issues over the years, I’ve noticed these danger areas:

· Warnings that are repeatedly made without consequence become the equivalent of car alarms. Most people ignore them.

· The existence of management watchdogs such as law, labor relations, and equal employment opportunity departments should never trigger the assumption that those offices are preventing misconduct. Many are surprisingly docile until a complaint is filed.

· Orders that may be misunderstood, will be misunderstood unless there is an effort to explain what they mean and, most importantly, what they do not mean.

· Priorities are often changed at one level without other parts of the organization being informed of that change. As a result, people may be rowing in different directions.

· External customer service is often fine. It’s the internal customer service that is foiled by poor coordination and lack of communication.

· The organization’s mission statement may be bold and impressive, but it will be forgotten unless it is frequently reaffirmed.

· Unless carefully watched, resources will be squandered on low-priority activities.

· Plans are important but in most cases are quickly outdated. They are a starting document and a point of mutual reference.

· Allies, unless carefully watched and supported, may become rivals. The good news is that rivals can sometimes become allies.

· Appearance may distract from substance. Make sure that they are mutually supportive.

· Departments may conflict for the best (and often dumbest) of reasons so a culture that rewards prompt and meaningful resolution of all differences is invaluable.

· Beware of using a club to swap a fly. We need to bring back, “Knock it off. Don’t every do that again.”

· If not brought onboard and monitored, the bureaucrats of the world have numerous and silent ways to delay, misinterpret, and lose directives.

· Be on the watch for deceptive work cultures where devious executives will honestly answer a question provided that it is precisely worded in a manner that cannot be distorted, dodged or ignored. [I call this The Magic Question Rule.]

· Publicity often fools those who paid for it. Don’t believe your own puffery.

· Community awards can deceive. Some are genuinely earned. Others are purchased via donations.

· Timetables have a habit of drifting. Always have interim deadlines to keep things on track.

· Don’t burden yourself with grudges. Remember comedian Buddy Hackett’s wisdom: “While you’re carrying a grudge, they’re out dancing.”

· Standards vary. Know the difference between the rock-solid standards and the ones that are made of rubber.

· Hints are not an effective form of communication. It is difficult enough to get people to understand plain language.

· Time will be gobbled up. Most projects take at least three times the estimated time for completion. Beware of unduly optimistic deadlines.

· Definitions will differ. I once asked a government executive how long it would take for the “prompt” issuance of a request for proposals so his office could get bids on an urgent project. His estimate was “Six months.”

· Jargon can mislead. Always get a plain language version.

· Organizational “silos” can become flat-out dangerous if safety-related information is not shared.

· Rules that lack teeth will be regarded as suggestions.

· Memories can fade and depart. Volumes of institutional memory and lessons learned can, with just a few retirements and resignations, walk out the door.

· Unless maintained, strengths will erode. Arrogance, sloth, and indifference can afflict even the best teams.

· Your ego is a mirror, not a window. It can shield you from reality.

· In any sizable workplace, you can find a chunk of people who should have been promoted years ago and an equally large bunch who should have been fired years ago. Strive to learn their names.

· The higher rank, the less contact you’ll have with candor.

· Research will always be incomplete. Beware of treating it as “settled.”

A final note: over the past few decades, I’ve noticed serious problems in these areas:

1. A curiosity deficit and the increased use of computerized systems have produced an unwillingness to delve into what’s really going on beneath the surface. Annual “war games” are needed to detect the problems hidden by standard operating procedures and systems. Example: If the organization has questionable software for interview selections, that can be humming away daily, making multiple mistakes, and harming the organization for years to come.

2. Social media, remote work, and a woke “gotcha” culture have pulled teams apart in both the public and private sector. Those negatives need to be replaced by genuine face-to-face conversations and a highly supportive culture that strives to develop and keep the best.

3. Relationship building, not just project completion, needs serious attention. In most cases, the organizations of the near future will thrive on no-nonsense and yet caring people skills far more so than on artificial intelligence. We are on the verge of learning what AI cannot do. Organizations that focus on that gap will benefit.