The TikTok Test
Ray Rice was a professional American football running back.
He is regarded as one of the best ever players for the Baltimore Ravens.
In February 2014 he assaulted his fiancée.
The particulars of the assault were on the public record following his arrest.
In July the NFL suspended Rice for two games for violating its policy by assaulting his fiancée.
In August the NFL Commissioner admitted he 'didn't get it right' when giving Rice a two game suspension.
He announced that in future, domestic violence would attract a higher punishment.
A six game suspension.?
In September a video was posted showing Rice punching his fiancée to unconsciousness.
The Ravens subsequently announced that his contract had been terminated.
The NFL said that he had been suspended indefinitely.?
The NFL and the Ravens got new information and changed their minds.
That's okay.
The new information?
Instead of the world reading that Ray Rice punched his fiancée in the face, the NFL and Ravens knew that the world can see Ray Rice punch his fiancée in the face.
?
Let's test our declarations of 'totally committed to ...' transparency, integrity, values, accountability, [insert lofty and noble noun here].
Next time you're considering - in Step 3?of the Five Steps to a Good Decision?- a response to information in an email, phone call, letter, or meeting - Imagine:?
领英推荐
?????? Converting the information into a viral video.
?????? Posting the video online.
It's not your decision making process that the world will watch (boring).
It's not your marketing platitudes or latin motto on your crest (yawn).
t's the information available to you - in visual form.
It's watching Ray Rice punch his fiancée instead of reading about it.
Wondering whether or how to discipline a staff member?
Upload their behaviour, and your intended response, to your imagination's film studio.
Action.
Cut.
Post.
Tweet.
Read the comments.
The TikTok test isn't demanding literal transparency of your organisation's internal decisions.
It's a forcing function jolting us out of our deep grooves of unthinking, cliché, responses to information.
So that we might see and respond to it in a different, human way.