Willful blindness is the common practice of knowing that something is wrong, but either pretending that the problem does not exist, or being unwilling to make a change or even discuss the issue. I was inspired by a TED talk video about the willful blindness of the town residents of Libby, Montana. Their willful blindness pertained to what they were experiencing after being contaminated with terrible, cancer-causing asbestos. This town’s major employer was a company that mined vermiculite, which is the toxic form of asbestos. Since the company was such an important employer of many of the town’s residents, the people in the area did not want to even contemplate the idea that their families were endangered in any way by the mining processes. What was noted by investigators was that the cancer death rate was higher there than anywhere else in North America. Too many people were dying at much earlier ages than they should have been. As it was, the vermiculite turned out to be everywhere, including playgrounds, schoolyards, and their homes. To this day, Libby, Montana is a major hazardous cleanup site for the U.S. government. To view the TED talk about this, see: (https://www.ted.com/talks/margaret_heffernan_the_dangers_of_willful_blindness).
I have discussed this hazardous cleanup site in Libby, Montana because it is an extreme example of the very common condition called “willful blindness.” Statistically, willful blindness happens in about 85% of all companies; therefore, the likelihood of it happening in your organization is very high. But what does this mean for you? It means that your company is doing things that are hindering profitability, but people are unwilling or unable to correct the bad practices. These practices can be both small and large, but they have one thing in common: They are practices that people know are wrong and the company should not be engaged in them. I have yet to perform a consultation and not find multiple examples of willful blindness within the companies.
Why are people unable to correct the known problems, or at the very least, speak up and tell others about them? There are many reasons, but the two biggest reasons are a fear of retaliation and feelings of futility because such behavior is a part of corporate culture. When people do speak up about these problems, they are viewed as troublemakers because, as a result, someone else may no longer be looked at in a positive way. In other words, in doing so, these people are butting into someone else’s area of responsibility and authority, which leads them to be perceived as a threat in some way. The two leading causes for willful blindness are:
- Protecting One’s Perceived Power
Change may require responsibility shifts and realignment; therefore, people will interpret change as a threat to their area of authority (Major Cause of “Willful Blindness”)
- Failed Leadership Example
Real, positive change comes from the top down in all organizations. Those who have no authority and are trying to make changes in an organization will be undermined by those who do. (Major Cause of “Willful Blindness”)
The lean manufacturing culture is in direct opposition to willful blindness. Lean manufacturing is all about putting forth a team effort and implementing better practices. When I give a consultation, it is my job to break through all the roadblocks and help companies adopt proven and practical lean practices so they can perform better. Not the B.S. theoretical ideas, but real-world truss and wall component lean practices that make significant positive changes.
I am often saddened to hear companies tell me that they need to make certain changes to address their known problems before they invite me to perform my services. This is like cleaning your house before the maid comes over. More often than not, this is code-speak that indicates a company needs to move someone out of a position of authority because that person (or group of people) is unwilling to make the changes needed for improvement.
When a company is underperforming, most leaders are willing to make hard choices and not let anything or anybody stand in the way of making the needed positive changes. However, why are so many companies so willing to except low net profits and even negative returns for periods of time before they are willing to face the facts that something must change? Well, it comes down to one’s ego and the willingness to make hard choices. Setting one’s ego aside and listening to an industry expert is not always easy. Most of the time it is changing a company’s practices and making some investments, but not always. Sometimes you truly have the wrong people that are hindering others. In other words, these key people are causing a culture that is willfully blind to the fact that other people in the company want to help you make positive changes.
Do yourself a favor and discuss this topic with your people. You may find multiple examples of willful blindness in your organization. After having this conversation, when you are finally ready to take the big leap, give me a call so I can help you make the necessary and positive changes that will increase your net profits. It is with these best practices that I have helped over 100+ companies. Lean manufacturing practices, accurate time estimations, best practices for all departments, and better communications inevitably allow companies to make greater gains.
Website: www.todd-drummond.com Phone: 603-748-1051
Email: todd@todd-drummond.com Copyrights © 2017