In my presentation, Without Warning, I present the problem, silent problem and without warning trifecta. I discuss how a codependency exists between problems and silent problems. I illustrate how problems that are uncomfortable want to naturally gravitate toward becoming silent. And once they’ve become silent, over time they naturally want to gravitate back towards being visible (If more people understood this dynamic, they’d be less inclinded to pursue the silent problem option). Its as if a bozo switch exists that says to us, “If I can avoid disclosing this problem, I’ll be able to figure a way out.” It’s a seductive safety valve that rarely works, yet is often deployed. The challenge is, the silent problem morphs over time, growing more complicated and tenacious to the point where it wants to be visible. And when this occurs, a without warning event occurs.
What does this have to do with Google. As you likely know, Google as a company is admired and feared. It’s transformed businesses and made others irrelevant. It has helped change the world, and much of the world has adapted to it. So when Eric Schmidt, the CEO of Google speaks, people tend to listen. Jeff Jarvis, author of “What Would Google Do” recently attended Aspen Ideas Festival where Eric Schmidt spoke and Jarvis wrote about it over at his blog, BuzzMachine. Here was my Silent Problem moment. Schmidt states;
I learned awhile ago that the right way to run human systems is transparency. Problems came from information hiding.
Information hiding is one of the cornerstones for silent problems and a catalyst for Without Warning Events. Information hiding can and does occur at every level of the organization, from the individual, the group, the division and all the way up to the organization itself. It’s a dangerous path filled with short term gains, yet long term consequences. Just look at the daily news. Individuals as varied as Madoff to South Carolina’s Mark Sanford perfectly illustrate this point. It speaks volumes about the individual and their integrity. But take a moment and see how this actually manifests itself.
Problem > Silent Problem > Without Warning Event
Sanford had a problem - infidelity. He somehow believed he could keep it all silent(maybe there was some comfort that having an affair in a different country could be held in secrecy). And when it was exposed without warning, it ruins his career and potentially his aspirations for higher office.
I’ve seen this over and over again. That is, the problem, silent problem, without warning trifecta. It’s a losing combination where careers are lost and opportunities squandered. Spread the word, and of course if you want to learn more - go to the book, Without Warning.
Tags: google, madoff, sanford, Silent Problems, Without Warning
