Several months ago I wrote an article called Is the Political Correctness “Elephant” in Your Workplace? that really seemed to resonate with people. “The elephant in the living room” is a common metaphor for situations in which people refuse to address or even acknowledge a major issue even though everyone knows about it and it is causing serious problems. My contention was that rather than addressing tough issues, such as having to confront poor performance or make a decision that is bound to cause angst among some stakeholders, leaders often shirk their duties by hiding behind “politically correct” excuses. They take the path of least resistance which, over time, results in dysfunctional behaviors and outcomes that create and enable a toxic environment. Too often, employees and the public enable this state of affairs.
Current economic conditions are making it harder, if not impossible, to ignore these elephants. As organizations are compelled to cut back on programs and people, they are being forced to question what they are doing and why they are doing it – and whether they ought to continue to do it. For example:
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- In the public sector, we have seen politicians at all levels repeatedly make decisions based primarily on self-interest rather than on what’s best for the public. While many recognize what’s going on in these situations, those who gain from such decisions (e.g., votes to fund pet projects that benefit only a few, or approval of worthy projects for which taxpayers should not be footing the bill) tend to ignore the implicit quid pro quo – i.e., support during the next election. Even those who don’t benefit directly may go along with the decision, expecting that their “turn” will come.
- In the private sector, decisions that were made in the name of creating shareholder value yet resulted in workplace dysfunctions now are coming to light (e.g., unethical behaviors, self-serving actions). While media reports indicate that Toyota’s “elephant” seems to be cost-cutting decisions that ignored important safety implications, this type of behavior is not new – nor is it likely to be the last time we see it.
- In the non-profit sector, we often find well-intentioned leaders, employees, and volunteers who are so consumed by their passion for “the cause” that everything else is secondary. While such enthusiasm is laudable, it becomes dysfunctional when it results in hidden costs that are ignored, such as the large number of burned out employees and volunteers, and the high levels of turnover.
The question is, what can we learn from this wholesale exposure of elephants in our organizational living rooms? We have an opportunity now to take a good look at them, and to make a conscious decision about whether or not we will tolerate them in the future. We need to examine what factors gave rise to their creation and maintenance, and to take actions to change them. For some suggestions about how to begin to rid our organizations of this kind of toxic behavior, or at least to minimize it, I invite you to read my article How to Drive the Political Correctness “Elephant” Out of Your Workplace.
And let us know what your organization is doing to create an elephant-free zone!
© 2010 Pat Lynch. All rights reserved.
