Desperate People
Alex Avriette over at Brazen Careerist wrote a terrific post called the “Two Factors Responsible for Project Failure Today”. His post primarily talks through a technology project but I found his logic to be applicable for any department or company so I wanted to share some thoughts. But, be sure to go over and check out his post.
Alex identifies the two components of failure as fear and integrity (or lack thereof).
The first one, fear, comes from employees who are unable to perform a task. Maybe they haven’t been trained or maybe they’re just completely overwhelmed. The employee is afraid of what might happen so, instead of admitting they don’t know it…they fake it.
The second factor is integrity. Employees who are deceptive about what’s happening due to…what else? Fear of the repercussions. These people don’t disclose problems because they’re afraid it will reflect badly on them. They’re afraid they might lose opportunities for advancement or even their job. Instead they skirt the issues and hope the problem just goes away before everyone finds out.
A first reaction might be to say employees need to get over the fear factor. But, I think companies should explore this dynamic a little further. Examine hiring practices, on-boarding processes, training, and competencies. Look at yourself first to make sure that the organization isn’t perpetuating this self-destructive behavior. Then, you can tackle individual fears.
I’ve seen this example happen many times. A sales manager is struggling to make goal. Instead of telling someone, they continue to go through the motions. When asked about activity, they say there’s tons of stuff in the pipeline. But there really isn’t. Sometimes, the stress to not fail leads people to desperate things. (Insert mental image of Enron, Arthur Anderson, and Bernie Madoff here.)
There will always be a competitive landscape that your business needs to navigate. Encourage employees to think about business like an envelope. If you’re afraid to open it, you’ll never find the answer. Being transparent – honest with yourself and others about strengths and needs – lets you see the great stuff inside.
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