A young friend of mine works for a national sorority. I’ll call her Kate. One of her responsibilities is to develop curricula on topics ranging from self-esteem, to campus safety to maintaining a healthy body image. This content is then presented to members of the sorority across the organization’s several hundred campus chapters. She has enjoyed the challenge and creativity of the work and is proud of the skills she has developed in doing so.
But late last year, the sorority’s marketing department decided that Kate was writing over the heads of her readers. In other words, they felt that the college students they serve would not engage with the material unless the text was simplified. As a result, they have been “dumbing down” Kate’s work before sending it out to chapters. She wasn’t consulted. They just did it.
Kate feels both insulted and disillusioned by this. She is an accomplished writer, having earned both bachelor’s and master’s degrees. During her time in graduate school, she earned extra money working in the campus writing center, helping doctoral students with their dissertations. She’s also wondering why the sorority is not placing an emphasis on writing skills with its members rather than reducing the rigor of what she produces. So, what’s she’s doing now? Looking for another job that will embrace her skills.
Do you have a Kate in your organization? Perhaps more than one? I’m not just talking about writing skills here, of course. I’m talking about any situation where the person has become disillusioned because they feel their work is not being appreciated. Thankfully, most people take pride in their work. They strive to do their best and believe that they are making a contribution to the overall effort.
But how would you feel if someone came along and said, “You’re doing a good job, but we’re going to have someone else redo your work because we believe it will be better that way?” At first, you might be pissed. After that, you might think, “What’s the point?” Then you might go further to, “Fine, there’s no point in trying as hard.” Finally, you might think, “Well, I guess its time to look for a new job now that I don’t have to work as hard.” This is completely human nature. In truth, I would do the same thing.
Now, no boss does this kind of thing intentionally. They just don’t take the time to consider how their decision might be perceived downstream. After all, it works for them. But with what evidence was this decision made about Kate’s work, for instance? Did the marketing department assess the reading abilities of their college constituents? Did they survey faculty to confirm that young women lack the ability to read at advanced levels? Or did someone read an article stating that college students lack the reading persistence of past generations? Hmmmm.
So, what’s the cost to the organization? First, there will be the turnover cost when Kate finds a better opportunity. Second, there’s the lost expertise. Kate is highly capable. Is the sorority going to advertise for someone who does not write as well? Third, there’s the morale issue. Kate can’t help but talk to her co-workers about this, not to mention those she knows with the Greek community. Not only will that have an impact on morale, it may taint the perception of those who might consider applying to the sorority when it posts new positions.
So, what are the take-aways for bosses when it comes to making decisions? First, ask yourself, “What evidence do I have to support this decision? Will I be able to refer back to this evidence if the decision is called into question or does not go as planned?” Second, what’s the downstream impact, not just for the individual or individuals affected, but for the organization as a whole? If the decision appears impulsive, or even erratic, you may have a larger morale problem on your hands, even if the decision was reasonable. Finally, how can you best gather support, understanding and acceptance from those affected? You’re the boss and you’re within your authority to make the decision. But it sure helps when people go along.
How careful are you when making decisions affecting others? What process do you use to ensure this? Let me know in the comments below and be sure to subscribe to this channel and ring the bell so you’ll be notified when I post more practical content just like this. I’m Bob Wendover.