When Organizations Resemble Science Fiction

The values erode first and they are soon followed by the language. Words are watered down to where they have almost no meaning or even imply the opposite of their true definition. Qualifiers proliferate. So do escape clauses. Responsibility is denied or shared widely for if everyone has responsibility then no one does. Matters worsen. Crises arise. Competitors sense and exploit weakness. Deadlines evaporate and urgency departs. Incompetents are promoted. Committees and special task forces are formed but nothing seems to get done amid the constant turf wars. Trivial issues consume large chunks of time. Gossip spreads. Good people leave and their replacements lack substance. Extravagant rewards are given for mediocre performance. Titles are inflated. On the surface, the place looks the same but tension can be felt by outsiders.

Ultimately, the only survivors are the dependent, who cannot find work elsewhere, and the manipulative who, seeing opportunity in chaos and decline, fight over the remains of what once was a fine organization.