Pass up the blame game; build trust instead

Indian roads are great places to learn about what one must know and practice in one's life. Most lorries carry uplifting messages on their tailboards apart from the obligatory ‘Horn OK Please' and the alluring and mysterious ‘OK TATA Please'. One such message that left a deep impact on me was ‘In God We Trust'. In a personal context, trust in the Almighty is clearly a requisite when we drive on our roads! In an organisational context, it is critical that trust is translated into a more demonstrable, down-to-earth and practical behaviour.

Scene 1: Let's consider the scene in a company that has come under some stress. The scene is set in the boardroom where the management committee is gathered to discuss a serious situation facing the company. The CEO starts off by bringing every one up-to-date about the nature of the crisis and seeks suggestions to defuse it. The immediate response from most present is to mentally run through their own part in the development of the crisis and how best to position themselves to minimise their involvement, and, equally importantly, subtly deflect the blame onto someone else. Most often all this is done in a very professional manner where the facade of bonhomie is still maintained.

Scene 2: Of course, pretty soon the bonhomie vanishes and the knives come out into the open. Veiled references to the authorship of the problem soon erupt into open warfare and tempers rise exponentially. Soon, communications pertaining to the crisis at hand are interpreted to suit one's individual convenience and more often than not reflect a marked predilection to reading between the lines rather than reading the lines themselves. The CEO then adopts one of the following techniques:

Line of least resistance: simply floats on the discussion current hoping that it will lead somewhere

Balancing act: plays the mature adult and tries to find a neutral middle ground that will douse the passions and help steer the discussions in a productive direction

Lion tamer: cracks the whip and gets every one to listen to his pronouncements on the way forward

I am sure there are a few more techniques but the above probably represents a sample of what normally happens.

In all this, the mood of the discussion is firmly anchored on finding out what went wrong and most importantly, who went wrong. The major task of finding solutions to the crisis takes a clear back seat and most often is discussed in a desultory manner and often, in a negative frame of mind. The net result is a group of senior folks who are sulking, sullen and looking for scapegoats.

Once the meeting is over, it is time for those who find themselves temporarily aligned to certain points of view to crib.

Invariably, this disgruntlement translates itself into direct and indirect messaging to the troops as to what needs to get done. It is quite clear that messaging borne out of such a negative frame of reference can only yield limited results and more often than not, only a Band-Aid solution. Surprise, surprise, the crisis morphs and erupts again soon enough in a more virulent form.

If we accept the thesis that most ills in an organisation can be traced back to the senior management, it stands to reason that the cure has to be effected at this level first.

A fundamental fact that determines the strength of the team is the mutual respect that they have for each other. This is developed over time, built brick by brick, based on the manner in which they have seen each other tackle issues and find solutions. It is reinforced when they get support from the others at a time of stress. This is a great foundation on which the superstructure of trust can then be hopefully constructed.

From respect to trust is a quantum leap of faith but one that needs to be made if the organisation is to be ready to face and overcome troubling situations with equanimity. This is a journey made with the heart and not just the head.

When team members trust each other, they come together in times of crisis, putting their collective energies to resolving the crisis rather than spending it on recriminations and futile finger pointing.

Building trust is a long and arduous journey but one that is crucial if the senior management team has to succeed in building an organisation that can overcome difficult situations without falling apart. Once the rest of the organisation sees evidence of this trust, it will automatically try and emulate it.

Trust is a delicate plant that needs a lot of nurturing and protection. Before we attempt this, we must ring fence it by building mutual respect at senior levels as the necessary first step. When a severe problem arises, blaming one another is hardly the way to do this. Passing the parcel is an exciting game — when it is played by young kids.

(The writer is Corporate Advisor to 3i Infotech and Manipal Education and Medical Group. He can be reached at >mcshekaran@gmail.com )

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