Effective Communication

The drawbacks, even dangers, of low self-esteem are well documented. Apart from, or as a result of, the emotional pain borne by individuals with a poor self-image, their ability to lead a productive and fulfilling life is seriously impaired.

On the other hand, I would hardly say that people you find at the opposite end of the spectrum - the folk with an inflated sense of self-importance - are really any better off, even though they may be sitting on top of the world in the short term.

Think about this scenario. John Proudman, talented, hardworking and ambitious, is vice president of operations at a startup that really looks as if it's going places. Of course, if the company's performance has been top-notch so far, it doesn't mean that it can't be better still.

So our John takes a good hard look at every aspect of the organization, conducts an in-depth interview with every member of staff, examines every work procedure, task schedule and job description in microscopic detail, and plays around for weeks with all kinds of flow charts, spreadsheets, permutations and combinations. He deliberates deeply and draws certain conclusions from the mountain of data in front of him. He then sets about implementing certain changes in the budget, personnel policy and other areas.

They're not big changes. On the contrary, they're so subtle that the big brass in the organization hardly notice anything different for quite a while.

Until a few months down the line, sales figures start slipping. Then one of the executives observes that staff morale, although still quite good by most corporate standards, is not what it used to be. Later, unexplained bottlenecks threaten to put the brakes on production precisely at the most critical times.

Nobody in the organization can account for these little mishaps that by this point are becoming too frequent for comfort. Except, of course, for the vice president of operations. So what does he do? He covers up with more changes. He fires a few key personnel, hires replacements, changes a procedure here and there, "doctors" his reports to his fellow directors, anything to cover up his tracks and divert attention from his mistakes.

From John's standpoint, all this works well for a while, but the health of the organization is hardly improving. Sooner or later, of course, the bubble has to burst. In the end, Operation Cover Up is itself uncovered, legal proceedings are instituted, and John Proudman finds himself out on the street with neither job nor reputation.

Why did this happen? In the beginning, John made a few small errors of judgment. But no big deal. They were honest mistakes, rational decisions taken after weeks of careful thought, with the betterment of the company's situation in mind. Could anyone blame him if factors he might not have been able to foresee crept into the equation and matters didn't pan out the way he had planned?

So again, what happened?

What is the strongest of all psychological drives? We could make a good case for saying that it's the drive for honor. Take a look at the history of this world. What's at the root of all human conflict? What has inflicted more misery on humankind than the craving for honor, the innate desire for the unconditional respect and admiration of one's fellows?

Poor John Proudman! On the face of it, he lacked the courage to come clean at a stage when his well-intentioned blunders would have been seen for what they were, and quickly forgiven and forgotten. But really, it wasn't a question of courage alone.

For John, whether or not his peers would hold him culpable for his actions was not really the issue. What he simply couldn't bear was the thought that he would be perceived as a fallible human being. Period.

Errors, after all, were something his subordinates were prone to, not he! John's craving for honor was overpowering. Once the word would get out that he, too, was somewhat less than perfect - that he was as human as the next man and could be misled by the same miscalculations - then who would continue to give him the honor he deserved?

Not the people working under him, and certainly not his colleagues on the board. And if not, what else really mattered?

Character flaws of many different kinds can be responsible for seeing a promising career go up in flames. The insatiable desire for honor must surely be near the top of the list.

Labels: the workplace

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