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You
get what you applaud. Are you preaching about “ethics” while you’re
paying for “Enron”?
Applause is a powerful thing. It is an expression of “getting it
right”, winning, doing the thing that the crowd approves. It is a
reward for the person getting the applause, and it teaches everyone else
what is “right” in that particular context. The crowd teaches, and
everyone learns.
Companies publish an ethics handbook and have an entertaining trainer
teach classes on the subject to everyone in the company. Raises,
bonuses, and big commission checks are based on sales. Raises, bonuses
and big commission checks are a lot like applause – they are powerful
teaching tools. And what did the person with the best ethics get?
Hmmm. I’m thinking we just taught everyone a lesson.
You
want productivity in the office as well as in the production area. One
of your managers wants more feedback from her employees than they are
used to – she thinks they may be spending too much time on the wrong
things, and not enough time on the corporate priorities. Her employees
complain about micro-management. She is reminded that employee
satisfaction is important. She won’t make that mistake again. Neither
will her peers. Everyone learned.
Enron
didn’t “just happen” – and it wasn’t a single thing that made it happen
– but if you look at the Context – the reward and recognition system,
the power lunch conversations, the things that got a “high five” at the
pub – do you think the applause was for ethics or profits? |
