We had a lunch and learn discussion today at work that was a bit depressing. Without going into specifics (which isn't allowed by our corporate policy), we have a process in place that can be very frustrating for our customers. Due to the many different players involved, such as us, our customers, indpendent vendors, government agencies, and our respective legal departments, there is no clear path to accoplishing the goal.
To me, this is a very tough problem that people can encounter in a variety of ways. Basically, no one wants to risk anything, so they put hurdles into place before they will agree to take action. This allows an idea to be shot down without anyone needing to accept full responsibility for saying "no". Each side can say that the other side wouldn't do x, or agree to y. This allows an equilibrium to develop where no one has to deal with the stress of making something work.
Thankfully, there are people out there who see their job as thinking outside the process. Sooner or later, through frustration, or just desire to do the best job possible, they push harder. They talk to each side, and try to find out what it is they really need.
A lot of times, communication is presented as a way to get over on people, to snow them with bs. I think that it's important to keep in mind the important value of being a brave communicator. Deadlocked situations are daunting, and bureaucracy can be draining. It's important to still be able to talk to all sides in these cases, because when we push through these hold-ups, we can achieve our biggest successes.
Go inject some sanity into the world.
Aaron
www.aaronagostini.net
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