That’s Not How Things Are Done Here!

“That’s Not How Things Are Done Here!”

Now isn’t that a great way to defend your burning bridge??

Even seemingly strong “bridges” have fallen through such a closed-minded view.?

I was recently asked for an opinion by a fellow leader whose company is experiencing a growing cash deficit. After some detailed analysis, I felt I had identified some pertinent challenges.

It is usually unpopular to say, but challenges demand a fresh approach or different strategy. Change in common. I provided the leader mentioned here with some initial feedback, and after a few minutes, the fellow leader became quite agitated and, in rapid-fire words, told me, “that’s not how we do it here!”

For the next few minutes, I was bombarded by the accusation that I clearly did not “understand their industry” and that if I knew how things were done there, I would use the “standard approach” in my analysis.?

It is helpful to point out that the proverbial “usual approach” has cost the leader’s organisation some financial losses, some long-term clients, key individuals and obviously also some steady annuity income.

I regularly hear some variant of the “how things are done here” argument, and, unsurprisingly, it’s never when things are going well in an organisation.?

To drive my point home, I challenged the leader consulting me to run an ARH survey (Abbreviated, Rapid, High Impact). Not the usual expensive, time-consuming survey where results are released when the relevance has expired.

Instead, the challenge I posed was this - I would commission the survey, but if I am proven correct, I’ll be reimbursed for the expense. As I predicted, I received the standard “you’ll only get a 2% response anyway, so you’re wasting your time” response, followed by a condescending smile - as if to say I would, naturally, run a very foolish project.?

So, what was the outcome of the Survey (ARH) Result?

?Response Rate: 44% (unusually high for surveys)

?Survey Result: 80% of respondents were very frank about how the organisation was messing up. Badly.?

?Board Member Reaction: Blame game, questioning the survey, pointing fingers, demanding a survey re-run and being venomous in attacking the respondents.

?Re-Run Results: An increase in response rate to 55% with more of the same negative points raised.

?Board Member Response: Getting rid of a board member suspected of favouring implementing remedial actions based on the survey and then passing a Resolution to avoid any responsibility and electing to continue as usual.?

While, as a leader, these results are horrible to witness, as a human being, the vindication in knowing just how loud the unspoken “I told you so” must be as it wipes that condescending smile away is exhilarating.

A word of advice. Don’t shoot the messenger. Don’t blame the methods and tools. Don’t decree that bad news must be ignored. And most of all – change is going to happen. Lead it or be led by it; you have the choice.

“That’s not how things are done here” is a blind spot you cannot tolerate in your organisation.?

Blind spots are dangerous.?

Don’t let the comfort of your current “bad news blockers” overwhelm you.