The One Line Survey

I've sometimes toyed with the idea of proposing to clients that they develop a one line survey in which employees would be able to ask a question. They'd ask it by filling in a blank and the line would be:

When are you going to do something about ____________?

And you know, in many cases, the blank would be filled in with a name.

In my experience, organizations can cruise/stumble along for years with that being the Great Unasked Question although you can bet it surfaces whenever employees gather off-site. The name is usually that of a supervisor or co-worker who is so incompetent or abusive it is inconceivable that upper management doesn't know about the problem.

What is surprising is sometimes they don't. We each have a tendency to believe that all eyes are focused on our portion of the world - when I worked in city government I was astounded at the number of hot stories reporters routinely missed - but we overlook the power of indifference and distraction.

Far too many people in management don't know about old Ed's job notorious performance because they are indifferent or distracted. They believe there are enough problems on their desk without smoking out new ones or they know of the situation and simply don't care. The first attitude is irritating and the second is infuriating. I've met managers and executives who casually brush past the problems created by an incompetent jerk because they don't have to work with the character.

In Jack Welch's day, GE execs and managers would meet with employees to address rattlers and pythons. A rattler is a problem that can be shot/solved immediately. A python is one that needs further study. Most personnel problems are pythons. They require careful handling but they need to be handled. Failure to do so can be a body blow to employee morale as, day after day, the question remains:

When are you going to do something about ____________?