Problems of Our Own Making

DEFINITION

Examples

Pushing a TQM training program in a “command and control” culture
Demanding 60% growth in the face of 30% turnover

Insisting a company "go global within the quarter" when training and QA have only English speakers

Believing that cash is not important as long as you are building market share (The Internet Bubble)

Assuming that people are only motivated by extrinsic rewards and punishments

Telling your 14-year-old son that he "should respect his elders at all times"

[more detail]

Problems of this type occur when someone with a compelling authority makes a statement (or even just holds a belief) that is so discrepant from reality that it creates an intolerable tension between demand and capability.

The statement is usually offensive because it refuses to acknowledge the complexity of the situation or the cost of the proffered solution.

Problems of Our Own Making are seldom capricious; the perpetrator often feels compelled despite the overwhelming challenge. They feel a strong sense of urgency, concern for survival, or fear for loss of moral integrity. Often there is an external source of pressure (Board members, financial analysts, lending institutions, alliance partners, etc.) who are pushing for a change with no knowledge of the internal implications of the change.

Straining a system with impossible demands may create other problems, such as lowered morale and turnover. In our parlance, these would be Problems with a Life of Their Own.

CHALLENGES

The key question is "Who has the Prince's ear?"

The biggest challenge is introducing reliable and credible data on the actual situation into the dialogue. The perspective of the offending party may be legitimate, but it is not complete. They are mistakenly focusing on a single issue in the hopes of making headway against obstacles. Their mistake is in trying to overrun those obstacles rather than addressing them head on.

A strong first step is often just making visible the barely noticeable but cumulative degradation that follows from pursuing impossible goals; erosion can eventually lead to system failure. The goal is to get key players to see the situation as it is, to make reasonable demands based on full assessment of the current reality.

Often the most pressing need is to find someone who has the confidence of the key player, perhaps a trusted colleague or respected authority. They may have the needed leverage to open up the dialogue.

Even if the conversation is broadened, those who live under the key player must avoid polarizing against their superior. They may have new data to put on the table, but it cannot be an effort to disqualify or dismiss the position of the boss. The theme is "How to get where you want to go", not "We can't get there from here!"

OUTCOMES

Build a multi-step program to get from 'here' to 'there'.

The desired outcome is that the demanding goal is acknowledged, but it is translated into a series of intermediate steps that start with current performance and ends with the desired state. There is an open comparison of vision vs. capability; rather than simply becoming more adamant, people look for solutions. People are once again engaged in the issues rather than giving up.

Motivation is sometimes restored by relying on hyped up motivation, heroic effort, conviction, or financial rewards. Such efforts may have short term positive impact, but the impact is likely to fade quickly as the damages being ignored begin to accumulate.