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The ‘Greats’ Go to Abilene

I don’t know about you, but I’m starting to wonder what is really happening in business in this ‘post-COVID’ era.  Are we in fact, past it?

Are we there yet? It’s been like an annoying refrain constantly coming out of the back seat?

During this COVID journey, it has seemed like millions have been on the Road to Abilene. Those who did try to disrupt or rock the boat were heavily chastised. Two very significant storylines emerged on this journey that I believe will be hard to come back from.

The Great Resignation is one storyline that keeps on giving. Various versions of the events lead to nothing less than wonderment. One such story is in The Guardian which tells us that resignations may be followed by regret.  Then there is the version about workplace bullying which is on the rise.

The instances of bullying reveal that this is a widespread issue that is greatly understudied, and I dare say, misunderstood problem. It is noticed more by a younger generation that just won’t put up with it.

Another storyline is the Great Burnout.  It is the top issue tied to mental health, overall health, and business failures. Stories from both women and men tell us of the reality of work and business.

These stories, it turns out, are not purely ‘due to COVID’ – they were pre-existing. The pandemic exposed the condition as widespread toxicity in corporate environments. That is a problem of leadership and culture. No one truly knows when the risk of these events changed into a crisis, but it has.

This all strikes me as the Abilene Paradox. For those unfamiliar with this paradox, it is the inability to manage agreement when dysfunction exists. I’m not talking about ‘group think’ here.

black flat screen tv turned on showing gameFor the past two years, there has been an endless obsession with the news! That is a fact.

As Josh Radnor was quoted saying

“An obsessive attention to the news, I’ve realized, only serves to paint a picture of the world as a throbbing blob of dysfunction, most news falling somewhere on a scale from disappointing to calamitous.”

Hence my conclusion on the Abilene Paradox. We all agree on the great resignation and the great burnout. My thinking on this is that we need to revisit our own lives and decide where we truly are on this. Leaders and managers need to assess their environments.

We need to be tinkering in our own minds with what the news is telling us and what social media is telling us. When do we want to exercise our own choice?  Do we leave or do we stay? Do I shut down my tech at 6 p.m. or 7 p.m. or never? The choice belongs to each person.

Having worked with many organizations for these past 30+ years, I emphasize the importance of knowing that each individual has a choice and it must never be fear-based.

Each employee, regardless of position or title, has the power of free will.  Free will is intended to be used.

The way Carl Jung explained it is

“Free will is the ability to do gladly that which I must do.”   This is why we are the intelligent species on this planet.

So, let’s take that intelligence a step further – let’s change the work environments!

Let’s build cultures and capabilities that support excellence in a way that meets a multitude of needs.

How can we do that? 

fiver person running on the field near trees

 

  1. Let’s agree on what indications/signs we’ll look for that tell us that agreement was just too easy.
  2. Let’s make lots of room for disagreement and if a conflict arises, have a strategy to deal with it.
  3. Let’s be more provocative with suggestions – now and again let’s be outrageous!
  4. Let’s agree that consensus is not always ideal, needed or necessary.
  5. Let’s change up how we congregate, gather, meet, discuss and where we stand.
  6. Let’s be intentional and create the space to be heard.
  7. Let’s not do what many have done before us

Dysfunction is never a pleasant topic, but it is widely acknowledged that it does exist in most organizations. Dysfunction is a key source of People Risk in business.

I’m reminded by the great author, Marshall Goldsmith,

“After living with their dysfunctional behaviours for so many years, people become invested in defending their dysfunctions rather than changing them.”

My experience tells me that the greatest tool at our disposal to create successful change is to first understand what it is that needs or wants to change.  Dysfunction needs to change.

I welcome your thoughts and comments.

Connect with me at Dragica@uvidi.ca to find out more about how we have changed the landscape for our clients by supporting them with advice, coaching, mentoring and new learning in specific areas that are central to business concerns this year.

You can also check out our website . . . www.uvidi.ca

I always welcome your thoughts and feedback.

Until next time,

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