When you are taking new role or joining a new company, you usually are very motivated because you have a lot of things to learn. So you ask around here and there.Unfortunately, you always do not get the answers that you want. Then, slowly you get demotivated....
Let's check it out the following series of picture which I got it from a friend many years ago that shows an experiment being carried out by scientist. I find that is very true especially in the working culture. So, let's check it out!
Now, does the answer sound familiar to you? It happens to me lately and in fact if I think of it, I got a lot of this kind of answers in the past too. So I'm having tough time to figure that out by myself. It is a very time consuming activity in fact.
Guess what, the worst thing is sometimes I give this kind of answer too! :) Well, sometimes there is a trade off that you have to make especially when you have too many plates on your hands. You can't understand everything in and out, and prioritizing is the key here. Therefore, sometimes I have this kind of answer too although I always try my best to avoid.
Having said so, for the things that completely owned by you, you shouldn't give this kind of answer. In other words, you just being not accountable. Don't you think so?Or you just take the answer as it is?
P/S: In personal finance or investment, you sometimes will get this kind of answers too. Well, that depends on how deep you want to go too. :)
9 Comments:
Champdog, that's a very very good analogy! Wow, an entertaining as well. Engineers always fall into this trap - even though we have great ideas but the "System Established since Aeons ago" restricted us from putting our ideas into work. That's not engineering spirit already right? But I believe even first level or even middle managers too fall into this trap - in MNC, you cant (or cannot afford to) go against the system but it's just how THE system works :P
That's we understand the high-level picture why certain things are done that way is important. It applies to both technical stuff and management too.
The challenge is understand the system as much as you can and at one point, you will have to take a risk to change. This is the critical part because it determines how good you're making the move.
For those who doesn't like to take risk, it will just follow whatever that has been defined. This culture may be working in the past, but not anymore now. When you don't move or do something, you will be phased out soon.
The funniest part is when the changes are in the loop. It seems like is moving but the entire timeline has no progress and this is usually happens in MNC or larger corporation.
For example, System A -> System B -> System C. A person who makes change from System A to System B is no longer with the company. Then another person comes and change it to System C, then leave again. A new person comes again and change back to the System to A again. See the loop?
You see a lot of this kind of things in MNC. :) That's why when a company gets larger, it is not easy to manage as you think. :)
Sometimes it is easier to say "Don't know" Knowing too much will also mean you need to do the job that supposely other people don't know how to do.
I bet you have a situation where you load a certain employee just because is very capable and solve any issue at hand. And worry to give the same task to someone less capable :P
Afraid to be more capable? :) Maybe the money is the main factor. You capable, so you work more but what you get back doesn't tally to what you have given out?
Depends on who as you the question. If your boss is asking you, "Don't know", honestly is not a good answer. :) You can answer differently. E.g. Let me find out Or you can suggest, why don't we ask person X? The "Don't know" always sound like you don't own it or being part of the team.
or.......the oldest (measured by the amount of time spent near the ladder) would tell the rest "what makes you think you know better than me? I'm here longer than u!"
and it repeats itself :P
in the end, most people donno why they don do something. it's just because the most experience person say u cannot do since he is supposed to be the one who knows best. actually he himself donno why.
ahhahaha.
or...
"this is how things work around here"
Funny right? and this happens in real. :) When you fail once at the beginning, those experience will tell you, "See? Not listen to me". lol!
I like the illustration very much! What the illustration is depicting is pretty clear and get-to-the-point. I agree with ChampDog,when it comes to a certain point, we need to take a risk to change, especially when a group has more 'replaced monkeys' than the 'old monkeys'. That is the best time to change. Don't you think so?
Lucky my boss is the opposite of your analogy. By saying dont know is the easiest way to settle things. It is just short cut to so call chase away all those trying to bug you during work.
Nonetheless, i am lucky cause my boss will always help when i am in trouble! ;)
@TKChew, Thanks for the comment. Usually by default, people don't want to change. Everyone likes comfort zone. :)
@Kampunginvestor, that's interesting! :) If you can chase away those thing by saying "don't know", I bet that's lower priority things at least from your perspective?
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