Once again, Seth Godin demonstrates the power of creative thinking in the blog space.
Seth cites ten, "Lies to protect the status quo." They're very good lies.
Number 10 is compelling ("Who you know is more important than what you know"), but my favorite is #7: "Working hard for your boss and following instructions is the best way to get ahead."
This is the lie that keeps allegiance within corporations alive. Riding you boss's coattails has always been a blueprint for corporate success. As has, "keep your head down," or, "just be a good soldier." Notice the distinct military tone to these aphorisms? That's because getting others to follow instructions (orders) has historically been presumed to be the best way for things to get done.
But, even the military doesn't believe that anymore.
One of the key elements of the amazing reality that is today's American military is that the Guardsmen and Reservists who make up nearly 40% of our current force in Iraq; over 150,000 active duty service personnel are from the reserve ranks. Why is this so amazing?
Well, first it means that these people live most of their lives in the new world of corporate "empowerment." I know that word leaves a bad taste in many people's mouths, but the fact is, corporate America today does not value robots, it values thinkers. Innovating and contributing new ideas, not echoing bad ones passed down from above, is what gets people ahead today.
Second, it also means that these folks have been trained in new style of military thinking, best characterized as: "use your eyes and ears and tell us what you see and hear." For the military, "astute local perception" has superceded "blind obedience to orders from afar" as the key to operational success. Local control is the key to the kind of warfare - military as well as corporate - we're waging today.
So, if your boss is wrong and you follow orders, you're as screwed as she is (viz., Abu Ghraib).
You still have to work hard to be successful, but "working hard" today means using your own eyes, ears, and brain. And, speaking up if your boss is wrong. If that sounds "risky," just remember it's not nearly as risky as doing something stupid just because someone else told you to.
Lie #7 is a guaranteed losing strategy in today's workplace and in today's military.
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