Sometimes Change Is Hard to Achieve Because of Sophisticated Triangulation
(Room 103C)
09 May 17
10:30 AM
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11:00 AM
Tracks:
The Soft Stuff Is the Hard Stuff — Managing Culture Change
Suppose an employee or manager is asked to do something. That something could be improve safety performance, meet a budget, plan and schedule maintenance, be more proactive, manage differently — anything that would be an improvement over business as usual. The employee or manager is asked to "go from Point A to Point B along Path c in a typical triangle." The Sophisticated Triangulator does not go to Point B along Path c. Instead, he goes to Point C along Path b. He then looks around and waits to see what happens. If nothing happens, everything is copacetic. But if he is asked about Point B, there will be excuses, hedging, finger-pointing, general waffling and maybe a fake step toward Point B. The Triangulator does not play to win, but rather not to lose. But he ends up as a loser and chronic non-performer, and the organization ends up losing with chronic non-performance, often awash in red ink.