Organizational Mythologies

Organizational Mythologies
Rethink the story line; improve organizational performance.
Dr. Jim Bohn
Pro/Axios – Minneapolis, MN

Organizations create mythologies that
become part of the culture.
They are stories with great impact.
But they are still just stories.
Blind acceptance of mythologies costs money, morale, and motivation.

Which of these
organizational
mythologies do you
believe?
How do these mythologies impact your
organization?
Organizational Mythology #1
Working with people requires "Soft
Skills“.
Leaders are made, not born.
Training changes organizations.
All projects are created equal.
Power is bad.
The greatest organizational myth
of all: Bad leaders can change.

Working with people requires “Soft Skills”.
"The people side of change requires soft skills."
 Whenever I hear this phrase it is like nails on a
chalkboard. This idea is a mythology.

Why do people use the term "soft
skills"? Here's my take:
 Unlike Accounting which measures numbers, there is no perfect measure
of human behavior ... at least, not from a human perspective.
 There is no perfect method of predicting human behavior ... only
statistical probabilities (with the exception of parking lot behavior, which
is highly predictable).
 Thus, what is un-measurable must be „soft‟. Really?

Human beings are complex.
 When managers, leaders and executives step back for a
moment, they realize human emotion, motivation and intuitions are
far more complex than figures, equations and theorems.
 Albert Einstein reportedly said "I worked in mathematics, because
people are too complicated.“
 Paul Allaire of Xerox said "The hardest stuff is the soft stuff."

Leaders are made, not born.
 While leaders can change over time and become better at
leading, I reject the idea that all leaders are made, not born.
 Some people have “it”. Whether in
music, art, education, scholarship, research, athletics, you name
it, some people have „it‟.
 Great leaders have “it”. They instinctively know how to lead.

Assumptions behind the statement
“Everyone is a leader”:
 Let's have everyone believe they can be a great leader ... so no
one is left out.
 The self-esteem movement has taken it's toll on common sense ...
 We are told that we may injure someone's feelings by telling them "you don't have the
right stuff.'
 A belief that, in the right circumstances, anyone can 'lead'.
 The prevalence of corporate graffiti designed to build employee
engagement. "We are all leaders."

There are several problems with the
notion that all leaders are made ...
Many folks flat out don't want to lead –
it's scary,
takes too much time,
and too much effort,
and carries too much risk.
They would rather complain about the leaders they have than
become a target for criticism and rejection.

There are several problems with the
notion that all leaders are made ...
 Some people who try to lead - - - because they have been told they
could - - -turn out to be miserable failures, seriously impacting many
people.
 You’ve seen them. It’s tough on them, those they lead and their organizations.
 The skill of leading –
 coordinating multiple competing egos,
 ensuring achievement of a major goal by influencing people who do not report to you, and
 taking the heat for things that go wrong,
 is an ominous responsibility requiring emotional stamina, confidence (not
ego), and plain old-fashioned skill that all do not have.

Training changes organizations
 Where does the mythology arise that training is a solution to everything?
 There is a perceptual default that classroom settings where information
was shared is the key to change.
 The misguided conviction that employees will change their
leadership, management, work habits if they simply attend a seminar.
 Managerial frustration with a current situation can motivate leaders to
send people to training.

What do we observe in our own training
experiences?
 We often gain awareness of a perceived gap in knowledge.
 We may be energized to try something new after we attend a
workshop.
 Many of the three ring binders of material (or online workshops) we
reviewed gathered dust over time.
 It takes effort far beyond the classroom to integrate new knowledge
into the DNA of an organization.

All projects are created equal.
 Here are some reasons why projects continue to be funded even if they are failing:
 TEACHER'S PET PROJECTS: It's someone's pet project ... typically a high level executive.
 HOPE SPRINGS ETERNAL PROJECTS: So much money has been spent to get it off the ground
that people are reluctant to shut it down. "Maybe if we just add a few more people."
 “YOU TOOK YOUR EYES OFF THE BALL” PROJECTS: In some circumstances, people aren't
paying attention to the project at all.
 HAMSTER WHEEL PROJECTS: BAU (Business as usual) prevents people from seeing the forest
for the trees.
 DON'T BRING ME BAD NEWS PROJECTS: Someone can't (or won't) believe it is failing and will
not accept failure. [Gene Krantz persona ... but this isn't Apollo 13].

Power is bad.
 Mention the word POWER, and most folks run for the hills.
 It can conjure up terrible images of despots, tyrants and
megalomaniacal leaders who are mad with the stuff.
 There's no doubt about that ... history is replete with people who
have become crazed by their desires to rule the world.

But hold on for a minute. Quite often, the
many suffer because of the reputations of
a few.
 Consider this:
Power provides energy to inspire
athletes, researchers, students, philanthropists, theologians, architec
ts, and brilliant musicians.
 For many, power is the source of determination in the face of
loss, discipline in the face of struggle and downright grit to stay the
course.

Power is the motive force behind the
good and the bad.
 Power in itself is neutral, but in the hands of leaders who are driven
by the wrong motives, power can be destructive.
 Yet organizations cannot exist without power.
 Here's why: No matter how large they may be, organizations have limited
resources. Organizations cannot be 'all things to all people.'
 That's where the influence of power comes to bear.

Why is power necessary in organizations?
 “If everyone agrees on what to do and how to do it, there is no
need to exercise power to attempt to influence others” (Pfeffer).
 But rare is the organization where everyone agrees on everything!

Why is power necessary in organizations?
 If an organization is to have an identity, it must be focused on a goal.
 This is the power of design.
 If an organization is to accomplish something, it requires some kind of structure to
direct the energy flow.
 This is the power of decision.
 If an organization is to work together, it requires some kind of laws or policies to
guide those who want to effectively participate and to eliminate those who do
not want to cooperate.
 This is the power of discipline.

The use of power.
 Ultimately, the way a leader uses power becomes obvious as the years go by.
 Good leaders become known for inclusion.
 Dictatorial leaders become known for their dreaded ways.
 While the latter may "get things done," over time organizations seek leaders who
build, rather than destroy, organizational power among the many.

The greatest organizational myth of all:
Bad leaders can change.
While inexperience may be an initial cause for ineffective
leadership, over time bad leaders are what they are: bad
leaders.
Narcissistic leaders rarely change without a dramatic loss.
Research shows „one bad apple can spoil the whole bunch.‟
These leaders can do serious damage in organizations.
Attempts at rehabilitation of their ways is very likely to fail.
No amount of
training, coaching, counseling, cajoling, incentives or
psychological appraisal will change a bad leader.

Check out the Rapid Diagnostic @
www.ProAxios.com
info@proaxios.com
651-302-1574
Minneapolis, MN, USA
We offer plainspoken guidance
for those who do the work.

Organizational Mythologies

More Related Content

Organizational Mythologies