The post-it reads ‘crushing management’s ideas by telling the truth. Would not recommend.’
Can anyone else hear Jack Nicholson’s character in a Few Good Men screaming on the stand?
You can’t handle the truth.
Management used to ask me questions about different matters that came up in the department.
Why?
Because I would always tell the truth.
But sometimes the truth is not what they are looking for.
I don’t care if they don’t want the truth.
I will not sugarcoat my response.
If I think an idea is terrible or has been done many times before and abandoned, I will say so.
That is the problem with being long lived in a department.
And having a good memory.
This kind of response is not very popular.
And, I imagine, gets me a debbie downer reputation.
You want to try the bright shiny idea that has been done before?
Oh, so many times?
Because maybe it will be different this time?
Knock yourself out.
However, you have to be careful of crushing their ideals too many times.
They will stop inviting you to the table for discussion.
And do the terrible thing anyways.
And when it fails, replace it.
Not with the non-terrible idea that came before.
But by something else that is even more terrible.
And non-sustainable.
You’ve heard the adage the road to Hell is paved with good intentions.
Similarly the road to not-happy employees is paved with bad ideas with good intentions.
Because someone did not think it through.
Or ask if there could be any downsides.
Or asking if there could be any downsides in their echo chamber.
No, no, don’t ask her.
She’ll say no.
What could go wrong?
Dispatches from the Evening Shift 