Page 19 - The Voice of Authority

to fall,” “wait until the dust settles,” or “wait for the air to
clear” before getting the true story.
Here is how we typically respond to what we hear:

1. Hear the situation and/or facts.
2. Wait for the spin.
3. Download the intentions.
4. Decode the spin.

To make the process faster, we tune out until step 3. In
short, we listen defensively, skeptically—as if everything
we’re hearing is half-truth with a hidden motive behind
the spin.

Risk-Averse Culture: “Not I,”
Said the Little Red Hen

Nobody wants to claim responsibility or be accountable for
actions or decisions. The situation has worsened during the
last 25 years that my company has been offering training in
business writing. In the l980s, as part of a two-day work-
shop, we taught participants how to respond to customer
complaints. Only occasionally did we encounter a company
that didn’t allow their service agents to respond to com-
plaints at all—but instead, because of liability concerns, re-
quired them to pass that task on to supervisors. Today, the
task is handled almost universally by managers. Why? Fear
of having service agents say, “We made a mistake.”
The same thing happens internally in the most minor
situations. People create an unending number of obscure
e-mails to avoid saying, “I’m accountable, and I made a
mistake.”

There Is Just No Communication around Here 7