In defence of gravity.
“No excuses. Let’s all grab our bootstraps and pull.”
That was a real thing said in a real all-staff meeting. One can imagine the quality and comedy of the offline messages that started flying back and forth between the organization’s middle-managers.
This place employed one of the most driven, daring, talented teams I’ve ever seen under one roof. These people were the best at what they did, yes because of their considerable training and experience, but more because no matter the task, challenge (internal or external), or limitation, they executed; they succeeded.
They also cared. Not just about their portfolios, but about the people who worked for and with them. They had all spent time discussing, identifying and unpacking the myriad problems that had eroded the culture. Problems that had amounted to record turnover (nearly 20% in a single year), record sick leave, and a level of chaos that no amount of planning could cure. They stayed up late and woke up early and sacrificed, creating and proposing solutions to these problems. They had the hard conversations with their leaders about where things needed to change.
In other words, they did everything they could to try and fix a work environment that had all the potential in the world.
The response: no excuses… bootstraps.
The unexamined belief is not worth having
Idioms and axioms fascinate me. They’re ubiquitous in every language. We’re raised on them. We build systems of belief, action and business around them. They’re just words, yet they have real-world consequences.
If you think about it, they might be the subtlest form of indoctrination we have. We hear them, adopt them and use them without question. No pause for examination.
Let’s take ‘bootstraps’ for instance. Despite the many articles detailing the delightful origins of the phrase, a majority of us still hear it and think rugged self-reliance, hard work, taking responsibility for our lives. No one needs help! I didn’t. I bootstrapped it.
Only it means the opposite. It was used to describe an idiot attempting to accomplish on their own something altogether impossible. Anyone who tries to lift themselves up discovers quickly that common sense, aglets and gravity have all conspired against the effort.
Yet, here we are, mired in corporate, political and social belief systems that take it as a fundamental, and even powerful, truth. Personal responsibility and all that.
Back when that phrase was new, we knew better. We knew that taking responsibility sometimes meant asking for help, or having the hard conversations, or admitting we’ve made a mistake, or pointing out flaws in a business culture and trying to provide workable solutions. Only the fools kept to themselves, letting flawed systems and habits clank on until the wheels fell off.
Idiomatic damages
One might say— and many have — where’s the harm in all of this? Let’s take a look at the unintended consequences of believing the bootstrap fallacy. Here’s what the no-excuses leader accidentally communicated to their employees in that meeting:
1. I’ve heard all of your concerns and proposed solutions, and I think they’re excuses. Subtext: I have no respect for your expertise, experience or the work and effort you’ve put into trying to make this place better for everyone.
2. You should be able to fix this on your own. Subtext: you’re weak, fragile, not enough. Doesn’t matter how hard you work or how much time and mental space you give to this place.
3. The culture of this place isn’t my problem. Subtext: I don’t care about any of you. Not one.
It also demonstrates a wild misunderstanding of how important a business culture is (re: “Culture eats strategy for breakfast.” — Peter Drucker), worse, it’s an inadvertent confession that the leader has no idea how culture is made or where it comes from. Spoiler alert, every organization takes on the aspect of its leader — culture comes from them, at their best and not-so-best.
Do you know who leaves first when you disregard problems, solutions and the people who showed you both? The courageous, the resilient, the creative, the talented. Those who speak up. Why? They have more opportunities and they go where their bravery is rewarded with action.
That’s the cost. Bootstrap cultures have it so backward that they’re actually chasing away the people who could make them better.
Might be a good time to start digging out the old idioms we pass around the workplace. Or better, leave the well-used phrases behind. The best cultures try to create their own language rather than bandy old clichés about.
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My genuine gratitude for reading. Please engage with the work, discuss and offer your thoughts. They are most welcome. You can also find me at migueleichelberger.com
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This post was previously published on medium.com.
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From The Good Men Project on Medium
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