The world works perfectly...
More from the Views from the Business Front Line Series: 11/7/02
By: Paul Di Carlo
When this view was first put forward to me as a useful way to think about things, I was a little sceptical, even annoyed. I had just finished resolving a serious dispute between a large organisation and an international supplier. Perfect was not the word for the mess that had occurred, and yet...
From the outside, the dispute was all too predictable and common. The roots of the problems were clearly recognised by all involved. So why did it degenerate into such a mess? Similar questions could be asked about the state of the roads and railways in the UK, the health service, the justice system, the IT industry and most IT projects, Barings, Enron, WorldCom, the economy, the list goes on and on.
Is it inevitable that so many outcomes fall so far short of initial intentions and sometimes long held expectations? Is decline and failure inevitable? And why is it always such a surprise? Is there a common pattern at work here?
Afterwards, the responses come quickly. So who was to blame? Who was responsible? Who had the leadership role? Who had the power and authority to fix it and didn't? Why didn't anyone stand up and speak out? If they did, why were they ignored? Why weren't there any warning signs? Was it driven by incompetence, conspiracy or neglect? Why didn't the controls work? Why did it have to crash so spectacularly before it was noticed that anything was wrong?
The 'official' answers given eventually, of course, are predictable... assuming it isn't all brushed under the carpet. These take the form of 'lessons to be learned', 'warning signs ignored', 'only in hindsight', 'beyond the scope of previous experience', unexpected events', 'culture of secrecy and/or fear', 'inadequate management reporting and control', 'lack of regulation', 'inexperienced management' and so on. Anyone with business experience can add to this list.
So what is it that causes these events to occur repeatedly and with such predictability that we have cartoon strips such as Dilbert highlighting the well recognised signs of impending and sometimes ongoing failure? Why is it that no one sees their role, behaviour or character in these cartoons? Why is Dilbert more popular at staff levels than higher up?
Culture and Leadership
Just like that old saying about projects - 'how do projects end up late - one day at a time!', so too with failures. The many behaviours and instant decisions made day by day are what contribute to most major failures (if you can't think of any examples of what I mean, see Dilbert for details).
Lets start with the underlying culture within the organisation. I know that for many in business, discussions of culture are regarded as taboo, academic nonsense or something that's treated as a management platitude - usually in the form of a booklet or 3 fold flyer or similar that espouses values and behaviours and is then promptly ignored, particularly by senior managers; that's a common part of many cultures too.
But the bottom line is that culture is how things get done, it's what gets rewarded (and punished), it's what's acceptable and expected, it's the unwritten rules of the game, it's the full range and types of behaviour that are expected, encouraged and, sometimes, demanded. From dress code, to punctuality, expectations of competence and professionalism, to definitions of managerial capability, how managers treat staff, through to hours actually worked, to whether you're expected to be ever optimistic or you're allowed to 'tell the truth' without fear of punishment! A key component of culture is how it deals with failure. Culture can be described, mapped, assessed for success, risk, change, flexibility and even changed.
It's often suggested that the current leadership team defines the culture but once created an organisation's culture has enduring qualities. I remember a conversation with one director who challenged the role of leaders in creating the culture on the basis that when he joined a company five years earlier, he blamed the culture on the other directors. Five years later they had all left except him and the culture was still the same. It's usually easier to join in than dissent - that's part of the underlying pattern too.
While I believe that only the leadership team can and must drive lasting cultural change, few are genuinely willing to engage in the processes required to do it. After all, their current approach and behaviours are what got them to the top! And most people and perhaps especially higher management, seem unaware of their patterns of behaviour and the impact they have. Certainly, many senior managers seem to have an aversion to engaging in activities that explore or surface these behavioural and emotional drivers and how they impact the many decisions they make!
The power of culture should not be underestimated. Many a CEO or manager has come unstuck by trying to ride roughshod over the existing culture, no matter what gains were promised by the changes proposed. In addition, CEO's also have to take account of the City or Wall St and the cultural demands placed on them by shareholders and the market.
Leaders need to treat managing, developing and changing the organisation's culture as major responsibility in its own right. The alternative is to continually work a delicate balance between the culture that exists while trying to do what needs to be done. I believe that a key responsibility of leaders is to manage and improve the culture and to act as visible role models for new behaviours sought. It's a key part of being a successful leader, yet a capability few seek to develop.
For many of us, it's our relationship with the culture that determines what we do at work, how, when and where you do it and the level of achievement we regard as good enough (or even just acceptable) and how much of a need we have to fit in, be part of the team and not stick out too much.
The world works perfectly...
So what? Its an interesting thought but so what? What does it mean to me, today? What can I do that will make any difference. What's the point?
Failures don't just suddenly happen. In most organisations, the people involved know when things are going wrong, they also often know what the right thing is to do. Most people also know when it isn't being done or they can't do it but end up too afraid to say so.
When faced with a choice between speaking out and the resulting conflict, or highlighting that they either don't know what to do or can't do it, most people busily stay quiet and hope for the best. As problems then mount, they then wonder why they can't see the wood for the trees falling on them.
When things are going wrong, few stop to ask themselves what is it that I am doing (or not doing) that is contributing to the current situation. If we are actively involved, we all play our part and contribute to creating or maintaining the situation, even if only through inaction.
The world works perfectly in that the outcomes that occur are the sum total of all the capabilities, actions and inactions of those involved. This is true for the performance of departments, divisions, organisations, public services and the economy. It's true for programmes, projects, sales exercises and contracts. It's also true for personal, family and community relationships.
If you don't like what's happening in your life in any of the areas above, what is it that you currently do (or don't do) that allows it to result in the current perfect outcome. If its not perfect for you now, what needs to be done by you to change it? Is what you're willing to do enough to change it? If not don't worry, you have a choice, the world continues to work perfectly...
'Things do not change, we change'
Henry David Thoreau
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Reader Comment / Feedback
Posted on: 16th August 2002
Sender: Terri
In one of the arenas of my life, I've started a leadership. I'm tired of just "being in charge"; I'd like to learn to LEAD. I found some friends who feel the same, and we formed a learning community focused around leadership.
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