Sacred Cows
“If we all think alike, no one is thinking.” Ben Franklin
What would it mean to your business if you nurtured your team to think differently about the challenges at hand? Imagine leading a team without groupthink and complacent agreement?
- Do you or your leadership team encourage your colleagues to ask harder questions?
- Is everyone in a pattern of getting along and not challenging the status quo?
- When was the last time someone gave voice to the sacred cows that exist at your company?
Great leaders understand the importance of encouraging civil arguments at work. They don’t want consensus; they want to hear from the quiet woman at the table who always keeps her thoughts to herself. Or the senior guy who stands at the back of the room, what’s on his mind? Since he is so close to retirement, maybe he is fearful of rocking the boat.
The exceptional leaders want to know what no one is willing to say or challenge or discuss.
The sacred cows can kill a business’s momentum and be life-threatening to a thriving culture.
Lessons In Cultural Shaping
When I worked for my friend Lars at Nomacorc, now called Vinventions, we did an exercise to bring out the sacred cows around the business. It was all about bone-dry frankness because the U.S. team and the European team were having challenges working together. And, it felt like what was on everyone’s mind wasn’t always being said.
Since Lars was in charge, he wanted to improve the culture and knew that what was unstated was essential to improve the culture and the team’s performance. In order to promote safe conversations, Lars wasn’t allowed to participate in the meeting and only heard the recommendations and results. By excluding himself from the meetings, it assured everyone that any issue could be raised, even if it was about him.
It takes a strong, courageous leader to be that open.
The challenge was to bring up the sacred cows that weren’t getting discussed. These fierce conversations were a chance to smooth the edges, diminish some of the growing tension, and get some difficult issues on the table.
We had clear rules of engagement in our sacred cow’s discussions so this didn’t devolve into a food fight. Most of the discussion focused on internal issues although some conversations did focus on external issues such as how we managed new products and questions about our marketing efforts.
- Respect each person and listen carefully
- Assume the best intention
- Disagree but do it civilly
We discussed these issues:
- What are the beliefs that go unchallenged in our business? Said another way, what is true that we aren’t addressing?
- Who should be the decision-maker in various situations? The team or the group leader? What is holding us back from more robust arguments to challenge what we think?
- Why is there frequent undercutting and second-guessing among co-workers? What is the root cause of this lack of trust among peers both across the ocean and, even within the same region?
Beyond the Sacred Cows
At Nomacorc, we didn’t solve all the problems through the sacred cow discussion, but I did notice more openness among others to listen and not become so quick to judge. There was a new value in the culture placed on thoughtful answers or questions – I observed that we started to challenge ideas, not people.
However, some people didn’t change their behavior or the way they worked with others. Overall, I found the exercise productive as we tried to improve the collaborative environment.
Are you ready for a Sacred Cow Conversation?
It isn’t easy for most companies to have this type of awkward conversation. But like therapy, getting the unspoken issues on the table can be a first step toward finding solutions. However, without a culture that wants to get better, embraces a common goal, and is willing to trust the process, this exercise can fall flat on its face.
Need help with your sacred cows at work?
I can help. You can set up a time to chat with me about your marketing challenges using my calendar. Our initial conversation is free. You talk, I listen. Email me jeffslater@themarketingsage.com or call me. 919 720 0995. Visit my website at www.themarketingsage.com Let’s explore working together today.
Photo by Jonas Koel on Unsplash
