Bulldozer00's Blog

… there is nothing more difficult to carry out, nor more doubtful of success, nor more dangerous to handle, than to initiate a new order of things. For the reformer makes enemies of all those who profit by the old order, and only lukewarm defenders in all those who would profit by the new order… – Niccolo Machiavelli

In all companies, both leading and lagging, it’s only natural that people at all levels in the hierarchy will complain about various aspects of day-to-day operations that they feel are holding them and the company back. At leading companies, gripes are actively solicited, listened to, and thoughtfully evaluated. Those deemed to be valid are acted upon to improve performance and morale. At laggard borgs, all gripes that cry out for a deviation from the status quo are either pooh-poohed away as non-issues (especially if they bubble up from the bottom) or they’re outright ignored.

In the sad extreme, leaders toiling in laggard borgs who know that valid gripes are slooowly killing the enterprise, feel powerless to act. It’s sad because, even though they have the stature and power to influence change, they don’t feel it’s worth the effort to champion and diligently follow through on a much needed change initiative. By keepin’ outta the kitchen cuz they can’t stand the heat, they religiously follow Harry Truman‘s sage advice.