Smart People Doing Dumb Things

It's continually amazing to me how well-educated, insightful, experienced, thoughtful people can do such amazingly ignorant things. And while 'best intentions' serves as a useful blanket excuse, the fact remains that we're all capable of doing dumb things, often at the least opportune time. Like now.

And I'm not talking about a pre-emptive invasion of a certain country in search of weapons of mass destruction. That was way, way, way beyond dumb.

At least, that mistake was made only once. So far.

In contrast, here are mistakes made repeatedly at work by smart, well-intentioned people:

• Workers getting the best information about their company from the Wall Street Journal or, worse, the local Penny Saver
  

• Being told in a performance review that something you did months ago -- and something that could have been easily corrected -- hurt your performance rating

• Believing meetings are productive

• Thinking people, especially now, won't be scared when you say, "We're looking to increase efficiency anyway we can."

• Saying anything about pay for performance

• Overlooking the short- and longer-term toll long hours, expanded workloads, and high pressure are taking on you and your people

• Trusting that people will be able to 'read between the lines' of a memo you've distributed
  

• Clinging to the notion that people can distinguish between 'rumor' and 'fact'
  

• Believing that your intent is what counts

• Thinking that saying it once is enough

• Considering yourself to be an effective leader because you tell people what to do

• Betting that your people are committed to your goals because they nod their heads when you talk

• Believing that secrets can be kept at work (Ha!)
  

• Thinking you can grow by cutting (unless you're a gardener)

• Avoiding performance issues, hoping that they won't be noticed and will eventually go away
  

• Believing your customers will forget how they've been treated during this very difficult period
  

• Believing your employees will forget how they've been treated during this very difficult period

Times like these are unforgiving, as are the people who inadvertently get in the way of dumb things. So, assuming mistakes happen, we suggest the following:

• Stay close to your people, asking regularly what's working and what's not

• Listen fast, so as to identify rumors and to truly hear what's being said and how it can impact your business

• Give authority to others to solve important problems, because that's what leadership is about and, importantly, actually works to achieve process and performance improvement

• Set a goal that captures the hearts of your people, because most employees want their company to win and because emotion is a terrific motivator -- and because you probably don't have a huge bucket of money lying around to reward outstanding performance

Doing these things well, in some cases, may help counteract the impact of dumb things done by smart people. If not, a number of your people may end up like the hero from Office Space. Listen closely as he's interviewed by a couple of consultants (no relation, I assure you) looking to 'increase efficiency anyway we can'.



You think Peter's views are unique? Something only in a movie? Oh, my. Please reconsider. Or I'll be forced to add that to the list above.

Have a good week, please.