THERE is a sound they make in TV shows and movies to soundtrack the part where someone does something really stupid; to accompany the open mouth, hands to face, wide eyed, frozen look of shock in those around them. It's like an exaggerated screeching sound of a needle being pulled across a record.
Ever sat in work and had that sound go through your head? Where some people you know to be pretty savvy, intelligent folks have suddenly made a terrible decision? What's worse is when they stick by it in the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary.
There are a number of reasons, intrinsic to the person, that we can we try on for size to perhaps find an explanation: maybe that person is out of their comfort zone, making decisions in an area they have little experience or training in.
It could even be the ‘Peter Principle' where they have been promoted beyond their capability. Maybe they have simply been provided with poor information, or their judgment has been clouded by previous experience. It could just be a one-off aberration because they are having personal issues, or perhaps there is an element of hubris where they cannot believe they are capable of being wrong. If so, these are all things which can be dealt with on an individual basis.
What would be much more concerning however is if this was a case of what's referred to as ‘functional stupidity', which is much more insidious and dangerous to a company.
Functional stupidity is where a culture has arisen and been allowed to take hold where questioning, reflection, challenge and debate have become discouraged or actively blocked. It's where decisions are made simply on the basis that ‘this is the way we always do things here' and staff act without ever asking why.
Now of course there are occasions (admittedly very few) where, for example, you are in a life and death situation and you will typically need to ‘just do' and act as trained. I'm sure most of us wouldn't want a paramedic taking time out to have a philosophical debate in the middle of treating a heart attack! Afterwards, when no-one's life is in danger, sure: debate, question and reflect but not right in that moment when you are administering treatment. In times like that you need to be quick, assured and decisive.
However, how many situations do most of us find ourselves in like that at work? Right. Very few.
Mats Alvesson and André Spicer wrote about the ‘stupidity paradox' where organisations go all out to hire the smartest and best people, then collapse in on themselves due to the organisational culture reducing these rock stars to automatons; where they begin, then continue, to make stupid decisions because that's just how things are done. As it becomes more ingrained it becomes harder to identify and correct.
Creativity then dies, the company becomes stagnant, and less progress made. Competitors advance and suddenly you find you are getting left behind in the market.
So perhaps it might be worth your organisation a functional stupidity health check and observing if any of the following apply?
• Do you hire good people but then not ask their opinion; instead telling them things like ‘just do it'?
• Are people who question labelled troublemakers?
• Do management say they rarely hear from staff about new ways of thinking or alternative solutions, or creative ideas?
• Is there a culture of ‘skilled incompetence', where management use their skill set simply to seek the easy path and preserve harmony? They become proficient in avoiding conflict and creating an environment where everyone is considered ‘right' to some degree, soothing egos, but in doing so enabling incompetence
• Do meetings happen ‘just because'; or is there an actual purpose and outcome?
• Is there any evidence of critical thinking?
• Are people who point out issues told to stop being negative?
• Is there evidence of wilful blindness, where staff actively seek to avoid facts and information, so they cannot be accused of not understanding or acting on it?
• Is there an over-reliance on process and procedure, where no exceptions can be considered, and flexibility is an alien concept?
If any of these ring true, you may just need to have a period of organisational self-reflection.
Now there are some caveats to all this. Processes and procedures are very much needed to keep the wheels turning. A ‘do what you want' free for all approach just won't pay the bills, so there should not be an expectation that these need to be challenged at every turn. You just need ensure that there is open communication, staff feel empowered and have a vehicle to make suggestions in the right way, at an appropriate time. The outcomes then should be processes and procedures that work, with proper analysis and review periods.
Challenge and debate should always be done respectfully: manners cost nothing. Energy vampires who are negative but who also offer nothing constructive in return should also be engaged sparingly.
Alternative viewpoints or suggestions should be backed up with some form of rational reasoning, data or evidence. Meeting shouldn't just stop, rather they should be purposeful, agenda driven, and limited to whoever is strictly necessary with clear outputs and actions. When critical thinking isn't evident it may just need the right forum and actively encouraged or perhaps coached.
First steps though are finding out if you have a problem; so don't be functionally stupid: be aware.
:: Barry Shannon is head of HR at STATSports
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August 14, 2021 at 07:12AM
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