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I can remember two times in my career when I did not enjoy going to work. It seemed like every time I would go to the office, I was bombarded by interactions and events that would zap my energy and enthusiasm.
I don’t believe I’m alone in my experience. So, what are the traps that leaders fall into that kill meaning at work?
Trap 1. Disconnect between Words and Actions
I remember a time in my career when the company I worked for launched a major campaign to invest in and grow the talent of the organization. The goal was to first start with the top 200 leaders globally and then work down to lower levels in the organization. The marketing materials were beautiful and comprehensive. The only problem was it was nothing more than a marketing campaign for those outside the company. It had no teeth to it nor an accompanied action plan. Nothing changed within the organization. This hypocrisy took its toll on the entire organization. How could we believe what was being said by the senior leadership team when none of it was actually happening? Eventually, this deteriorated trust in the organization’s leaders, as well as any sense of purpose in our work.
Trap 2. Strategic Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD)
When a new CEO came to the company I was working for at the time, his plan was to change the strategic direction of the company every four weeks or so. Some members of his inner circle said the reason he did it was so he could report to the board that the reason numbers weren’t improving yet was based on the old strategy. He didn’t allow sufficient time to determine whether any given strategy was actually working. This wreaked havoc with those of us leading teams because we were constantly changing directions. It was difficult to commit to anything when we knew it was just going to change – we began to wonder if our work was actually meaningful.
Trap 3. Death by Matrix Reporting
Matrix reporting can be a very effective approach in large multinational organizations. The problem is, many of them get it wrong. In one organization I worked for, the matrix reporting system was so complex that we needed a two-day off-site meeting just to discuss how it was supposed to work. We all left the meeting more confused than when we came. These overly complex structures often lead to micromanagement in some areas and carte blanche in others. There is often analysis paralysis, which leads to indecisiveness. Or, at the other extreme, a lack of planning and properly thinking through options leading to rushed and poorly thought-out decisions. Both of these extremes often lead to meaningless and poor-quality work.
Trap 4. Delusional Big Hairy Audacious Goals (BHAG)
A number of years ago, Jim Collins and Jerry Porras discussed the powerful emotional appeal that a BHAG has within an organization. At one organization I worked for, the BHAG became a grandiose statement that was not based in reality. “We plan to grow one segment of our business from $100 million in revenue to $200 million over the next three years.” What was our value proposition to this customer segment? What were key investments we would make in the segment? What were the key milestones and what was the path to get there? How could employees get excited about a number rather than the value this number would generate? None of these questions had an answer so the BHAG only led to cynicism.
These traps exist in many organizations today. As a leader, it is important to be aware of them and think of ways you can mitigate them in your own organization.
Next week we will discuss the keys that do drive meaning at work.
Share Your Thoughts: Have you seen any of these traps in your experience? How did you try to correct them?
