The Self Destructive habits of Great Organizations III

In an earlier post, I had mentioned that the first signs of rot are visible in the middle level managers. Discontent, dissatisfaction and bad blood starts here. However, organizations are pre destined to see most of these middle level managers as disposable assets. Talent (at least in India) is available, a score in a penny. So, when somebody in that level leaves, chances are that the organization fills the space in some weeks. Sadly, amongst other things what goes missing is the experiential learning in the individual.It is difficult to put a metric to this.

On a top management level, what matters is not the indivual but the collective. This collective is measured by organizational surveys, posts or what-ever new fancy tools as applicable. What matters is the number, the score! Things that aggregate into that score are most of the times given a slip. Talk motivation, work environment, content, organizational uncertainities, most of this is left untouched, because, well it is difficult to understand and touch it.

The Dead Moose theory is again not an original idea. I assume it is a north American idiom/ phrase. I first heard it from a guest speaker in one of the classrooms. This guy goes by the name of Peter J Stark who is the Innovation and Strategy speaker at INSEAD.

Dead Moose theory

The other way of putting this is Organizational Myopia. It is the ability of the organization to talk and address most of the surrounding issues and not addressing the main issue in the same breath. Call it escaping reality or turning blind to the most important issue at hand. Organizations keep doing it to consumers, markets and its own employees with alarming regularity. More so in the case of successful organizations.

Figuratively, there is this Dead Moose on the table, and there are these people examining it. They marvel at its antlers. They comment on the hooves. It is a very well muscled animal, the prime in its species. Its coat is a brilliant coffee colour and this moose was undoubtably, the best looking in its tribe. This moose was the best as can happen in the forest.

The examiners examine every inch of the dead moose and come up with theories and stories, consensus, reports, and analysis (read org Paralysis in previous post).

At this time, there comes this attendant to serve drinks and snacks to the high level team. He cannot but overhear the conversation and his interest is drawn to the group. He watches the examiners rant on and on. “But Sir, your moose is dead!” Says he.

CEOs.CFOs, HR Managers, General Managers, Consultants some times have the strange god gifted ability to see everything but the truth.The blunt truth. The Moose is dead.

Did they fail to see the death? Did they plan for its survival? Did they do anything to the moose that would have helped it live? Did they kill it?

Hours and multiple man days of talk and discussion did not make your moose live a few more hours.

So, your markets and customers keep slipping (and there are reports and studies commissioned to understand the reasons), your employees slip fall and leave. Morale is down in dumps. And yet the writing on the wall is not visible!

How bad is that Mr.CEO? Are you still doing, your “dead moose” thing?