Blue Elevator Blog

Dedication

This article is dedicated to all present and future clients of Blue Elevator™.  Business is a tough sport.  And sparingly, there are few courageous enough to embark on the ongoing process of rigorous business advisory.  You have taken the road less traveled by.  This article is dedicated to you.

The Problem With Self Reflection

There is a problem with self reflection.  The very exercise itself is almost guaranteed to reveal an opportunity to improve.

Why the Trouble?

Reflecting back on the past several years, I have been encouraged by the number of business owners and leaders that have engaged with Blue Elevator™.  And, in loose terms, what if I told you that a typical engagement rate might be 1% to 3%?

If you take 100 business owners, leaders, C-level executives, etc., roughly about 1% to 3% end up saying “yes” to engaging in rigorous business advisory.  Maybe the term rigorous is somewhat indicative of the low engagement rate.

But maybe there is something else going on, too.  With you.  With me.  With all of us.

What is the Problem With Self Reflection?

In simple terms, self reflection could be described in a 3-step process:

1. Self reflection usually places us at the point of a problem.
2. It is there – where we face the problem – or where the problem faces us (er, an opportunity to improve).
3. And it is there – where we are left with a choice.

And that, my friends, is the real problem with self reflection.

The Real Problem

The real problem with self reflection has to do with the courage to engage in the very process.  Hence, the opening dedication.  And so, if you find the prospect a little scary, then you can do what the majority do:

• Avoid the entire process all together.
• Do some reflection (but not self reflection).  Instead, do so with respect to trying to identify all the problems around you (except the one’s you can influence).
• Do some self reflection – but – only focus on something predetermined (something safe or inconsequential or tangential).

Beating Around the Bush – and a Bit Off Trail

Having worked in and around a lot of companies and organizations, ranging from startups to the Fortune 500, typically a lot of effort is spent either directly avoiding the real issue or beating around the bush.

Back in the day, when I worked for Coopers & Lybrand (today’s PricewaterhouseCoopers), I worked as an auditor.  As an auditor, it was my team’s responsibility (and the responsibility of the accounting firm) to perform independent audits of companies and organizations.  This was the very essence of why the independent accounting firms were established.  That is, to independently “opine” on the sufficiency of a company’s accounting and operational systems – all of which reflected in their financial statements.

I did hear rumors.  I heard rumors that some companies, who in their desire to put forth the best external image, were known to “opinion shop.”  That is, to try and determine beforehand whether the independent auditor would approve of the way companies accounted for certain transactions.

The proposition was clear: “We are looking for independent auditors who will provide an independent opinion that everything we are doing is OK.”  This was something we steered clear of.

On Predetermined Outcomes

The aforementioned example happens all the time for matters large and small in companies and organizations.  Really, the only safe move involves hiring an outside person (e.g., audit firm, consultant, key executive, etc.) that agrees with you 100%.  Someone, who as a condition of engagement, has conceded to all of your points of view – and if not – maybe a few contrarian views safe enough for you to pre-concede.

In essence, there is a willingness to “spend money on people or processes that tell us what we want to hear” vs. “making an investment to engage with people or processes that reveal what we need to hear.”

Take the Safe Route

If your experience has been either to avoid looking into hard things or entertaining a hint of objectivity, but doing so with some reticence, then you are not alone.  There is safety in numbers, so they say.

[Pardon the analogy]…But, if you are part of a large herd of buffalo that is being coalesced – even hazed – along a fixed route towards the edge of a cliff where things end, maybe there isn’t such safety in numbers (e.g., referring to a “buffalo jump,” – a cliff formation Native Americans used in order to kill buffalo in mass quantities by herding them off a cliff).

Or, the Road Less Traveled

Actually, the only safe route ends up being the road less traveled, as it is here where we engage in rigorous self reflection.  If you are the CEO, leader, or someone involved in helping to blaze a trail for you and your organization, then the safety of your organization and its constituents may just be resting on your shoulders.

Any of us, when going on a journey, would see the benefit in hiring a skilled and trustworthy guide – someone who knows the lay of the land, the dangers, and the pitfalls.  The same goes for in business.

No two organizations are alike.  There are no identical leadership teams.  So, the idea of buying a “one size fits all” predetermined, boiler plate solution from an “independent” consulting firm to validate your existence is the road well-traveled.

Do you have the courage to break away from the pack (er, the herd) and engage in rigorous organizational self reflection – knowing it will require taking the road less traveled?

Today, if you are reading this, you and your organization may have arrived at the proverbial fork in the road.  Which path will you take?

“Two roads diverged in a wood, and I — I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.” – Robert Frost

God-willing, be encouraged to take the road less traveled by.  See you on the trail – maybe.  Contact us!