Filling Holes 611.1
Sam, a supervisor, was dumbfounded as he watched Bill diligently dig holes while Chuck, after waiting a short interval, filled them.
When he demanded an explanation, Bill was indignant: “We’ve been doing this job for more than 10 years. What’s the problem?”
“Are you telling me that for 10 years you’ve been digging and filling empty holes?” Sam replied.
“Well, not exactly,” Bill said. “Until a few months ago, another fellow put a bush in the hole before Chuck filled it. But he retired and wasn’t replaced.”
“Why didn’t you tell somebody?” Sam sputtered.
“You’re management,” Bill answered. “We figured you knew.”
While management is ultimately to blame when employees waste time and money in thoughtless, unproductive activity, that’s not enough to let Bill and Chuck off the hook. Sure, it’s easy to hide behind the assumption that management stupidity has no bounds, but responsibility is a personal burden that everyone carries.
Too many organizations are weighed down by practices equivalent to digging and filling holes because too many workers and managers engage in or ignore inefficient activities.
Whether unaccountability is fed by laziness, ignorance, or fear, employees who surrender to a workplace’s negative momentum not only demean the value of their work but increase the likelihood that they will soon be out of work.
We can avoid our responsibilities, but we can’t avoid the consequences of avoiding our responsibilities. All of us are accountable for what we allow as well as what we do. If we want to make our lives more meaningful, we should make our work meaningful.
This is Michael Josephson reminding you that character counts.
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Comments
This is sooooo neeeded in the hands of every workplace in the world. I believe 5 people would internalize and step up to the plate after reading this.
Thanks a lot.
Posted by: gwendolyn mccray | March 28, 2009 7:51 AM
So, so true. With the buck-passing and "It’s not my responsibility, I just want to earn my pay" attitude that pervades most organizations, I wonder how we ever get things done.
Posted by: Gboyega | April 1, 2009 12:48 AM
You, sir, have just described the quintessence of all governments in particular and all collectivized efforts in general.
Posted by: James A. Johnson | April 1, 2009 4:34 AM
Organizations reflect those who run them. If these guys were digging and filling holes, it was most likely because they had been chastised by management before for speaking out about a similar situation. Many managers would rather discipline the person reporting a situation like this than admit they neglected to replace the guy planting the bushes. And their employees are fearful of speaking up. It only takes being punished a few times to understand what level of responsibility you are charged with. This happens in most companies - large and small.
And before I am criticized as just another disgruntled employee, I have been managing companies for over 35 years and have seen this scenario played out at every level. As a general rule, employees are starving for responsibility, but their managers are afraid that relinquishing any of their carefully guarded secrets will somehow reduce their position in the company. I try to rid my companies of people like this, but many times they are the owners or my superiors. The biggest hurdle to employees like Bill and Chuck demonstrating greater responsibility is usually their supervisor.
Posted by: James | April 1, 2009 9:53 AM