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Truth in the Face of Authority
by Michael Harrison
I’m often called upon by clients to solve a problem. An outsider’s impartial point of view is helpful when solutions aren’t being developed in-house, usually because the stakeholders are too close to or vested in the problem to see the solution.
Sometimes, when I consult, the problem is small enough to be fixed quickly – another step in a procedure or a streamlined, digital content management system networked to outside sales personal. So, step one when meeting with a client is to define the players and gather their views on the cause, scope and solution to fixing the problem. Invariably, during this discovery phase I hear all sides of all issues. I also hear statements that are made in the “strictest confidence.”
Other times, I’m called to assess and solve a problem that has progressed to the stage of jeopardizing the company’s viability. These are “life-preserver” situations where a quick solution is the only answer. In these cases, I interview owners, managers and employees, again, to gather various points of view, sometimes in “strictest confidence; don’t use my name.”
The Two Causes of 99% of All Business Problems
When I finally break down the information, chart work flow, pinch points and duplication or conflict of effort, I almost always arrive at one of two conclusions.
First, there has been a miscommunication. Information is exchanged, acted upon and an analysis is developed. Unfortunately, those tasked with the project weren’t encouraged to contest the data and information and, consequently, didn’t clearly understand project parameters or even project objectives. Sometimes, even after careful review of these in-house studies and reports I scratch my head wondering how things could get so wrong without somebody speaking up.
I can tell you this: the longer the miscommunication is allowed to be acted upon, the problem grows in magnitude. Remember the hooha over “New Coke” back in 1985? You know that product launch was vetted six ways from Sunday by a major, global conglomerate and they still got it wrong.
Why didn’t somebody at Coke stand up and say, “This is a bad idea.” It would have saved the company billions in development and run-out costs. No one in the organization said “No.”
The second cause of almost every business problem I encounter is lack of communication – just as insidious as miscommunication. Let me give you an example.
One of my clients developed a nice-looking, four-colour tri-fold brochure. The project was outsourced to save money and the client provided what I’d consider a rough description of what she wanted in the tri-fold.
This led to a long series of text re-writes, design revisions and even a new company logo – a project that went 300% over budget with what I’d call marginally acceptable results.
The lack of communication between my client and the graphic design company lead to literally $1000s in extra billable hours. A detailed spec sheet and letter-perfect copy should have accompanied the project. Instead, my client told me “she wanted to give the graphics firm a lot of latitude.” In the end, the client lost, the company lost and even the graphic designers lost – all due to a lack of communication.
Truth in the Face of Authority
This is the crux of the matter – the source of miscommunication and lack of communication. Truth in the face of authority. I’ve seen it a hundred times.
Imagine this scenario, sticking with the infamous New Coke example. What if, one day, early in the product development process an administrative assistant to an administrative assistant to Coke’s VP of New Product Development had said “This is a really bad idea.” And what if the VP was astute enough to ask the person to take a seat and explain her position. One, the new Coke debacle might never have occurred and two, telling the truth to figures of authority would have worked.
Unfortunately for Coco-Cola shareholders, no such scenario occurred. But you get the idea.
For a subordinate to “tell the truth” to his boss is, to say the least, difficult. It’s most likely something the boss doesn’t want to hear and, what is it they say about the bearer of bad news? Corporate culture doesn’t foster this kind of give-and-take. The result? Miscommunication and lack of communication, or in other words, unnecessary business problems.
The Solution
Let’s start with communication since the problems are miscommunication and lack of communication.
Every business needs mechanisms in place that enable individual employees to be heard – and, no, I’m not talking about a suggestion box.
Solving miscommunication is simple. Those assigned with a task should feel comfortable asking questions for clarification – questions that may sound “stupid.” If the directive isn’t crystal clear, even after several meetings and reports, the door to management should be open and any employee should be encouraged to offer suggestions and be treated as a knowledgeable resource.
Who knows better how to streamline a reporting system than the people who enter the same data three different times? Who knows better why sales are down than reps who are getting front line information?
Lack of Communication
Effective communication is the lifeblood of any business whether selling goods or services. Communications with employees, clients or customers, vendors and suppliers, sub-contractors – everybody needs to know and believe that management encourages input, respects differing opinions and seeks suggestions and strategies from all stakeholders, whatever their stake.
Again, this requires more than a “the door is always open” line during orientation. It should be a part of your business ethic.
Changing the Corporate Mindset
In many cases, this involves a change in management’s mindset. In fact, the best ideas for solving business problems are those that come from employees who engage the problem daily. These employees serve as excellent resources for understanding the source and scope of a business problem. And, if this “open” approach to business growth is instilled in every new hire and existing staff, the company owner will gather a wealth of invaluable information – even if it’s information she doesn’t want to hear.
If managers are removed from their staff, and staff are not encouraged to contribute outside of their particular “skill set” or job description, the business will continue to experience problems, small and large.
Truth in the face of authority: does your company encourage this practice?
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