Communication Breakdown

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Does your organisation encourage communication up, down and across? Do senior managers have an open door policy -- that really works?

Is a bearer of bad news welcome in the executive sanctum sanctorum?

Would you like to be the firefighter who disturbed Police Commissioner Karl O'Callaghan at the cricket?

Fear of consequences can be a powerful deterrent to the bearer of potentially bad news. Many subordinates believe that it is better to cover up rather than admit to a mistake. When a manager takes a hard line on subordinates' mistakes -- it's better to hide those mistakes.

How many managers remember to fix the process rather than to blame the people?!

What if you believe that a disaster is imminent... but you are not sure...?

There are fires in the Hills... It looks bad... Perhaps the boss should be called...? But what if the boss decides that he should not have been called? It's your arse on the line... Perhaps discretion is the better part of valour.

According to The West Australian (29 Aug 2011) both O'Callaghan and Premier Colin Barnett believe that O'Callaghan should have been warned earlier... "Warned"?! But the Commissioner "says delays in telling him... had no impact on the firefighting effort."

So why should he be called at all?!

First, an independent review -- and the Commissioner, and the Premier -- get upset that the Police Commissioner was not called earlier, to be told of an impending bushfire disaster.

Second, we are told that the telling would have made no difference. Whatever coordinating committee is involved -- chaired by the Police Commissioner -- it is useless in an actual disaster.

Third, knowing that the Commissioner is at the cricket, probably aware that the Commissioner will provide no real help in the emerging disaster, possibly afraid of the career repercussions if you annoy the Commissioner -- would you interrupt him?

And fourth, the government is now considering a restructure of this apparently useless "coordinating" committee.

Will a restructure really help?

Or is it simply cheaper than providing more firefighting equipment. Easier than building an acceptable attitude towards communication of bad news. And less electorally damaging than telling people to stop building in the middle of bush which will regularly be a blazing inferno.

Independent thinking & independent analysis of your problems by Agamedes Consulting. Support for your thought: email nick leth at gmail dot com