I got a chuckle from this recent tweet that called out a malapropism in another tweet clearly intended to comment on employee sentiment analysis. It’s an important type of text analytics (and a focus of my employer, Attivio) to analyze and discover “business signals” buried within online reviews, surveys, and other text-based opinion.
But, just as ‘many a truth is said in jest,’ many a truth can also be said by mistake as well: companies should monitor – and avoid – employee “sediment.” Doing so will help ensure an environment of innovation and free-flow of new ideas.
Somehow that ‘sediment’ gaffe triggered a memory (from ‘sediment’ to ‘dirt’ … ‘soil’ … plants) of an article I read some time ago about “potted plant syndrome” in the workplace. I couldn’t find the article I had in mind, but this article hits on the same idea:
There was a boss who complained that everyone around him was a “potted plant.” He couldn’t understand why his managers wouldn’t take charge of an idea or come up with solutions. In his management meetings, if a manager suggested how to handle a problem or come up with solution, he would tell them how they could do it better or differently. Or, he would argue that they were wrong. He didn’t realize he was killing commitment and innovation.
The boss was a one-person idea prevention department. People were tired of standing out with an idea only to get it shot down, so they stopped offering them, becoming “potted plants” – hence my employee ‘sediment’ line of thought.
And now a quick story…
A business professional (we’ll call him “Rick”) met with a company leader to understand how he wanted a certain technology solution to work. Rick listened and asked questions, teasing out from the leader the specific desired outcomes and results he was looking for. In the course of the conversation, the leader drew his thoughts and answers to the questions on a whiteboard.
The next day, Rick presented a plan describing how the ‘actual’ solution would work, delivering the end results the leader had articulated. The plan included a time-saving idea involving a simple update to existing data that would provide many of the desired end results quickly.
Far from being pleased, the “leader” was incredulous. “I told you exactly what I wanted,” he said testily to Rick. “What is this?!”
And then Rick understood the unfortunate reality that the “leader” never wanted Rick to propose an innovative solution; no, the “leader” wanted a replication of his desires and wishes exactly as described (instructed) on his whiteboard. Rick’s job was to be a gofer; an order taker. Did the “leader” want fries with that?
Withholding his own incredulity (and the snarky fries rejoinder), Rick obliged and completed the project to the “leader’s” specifications – which were needlessly complicated and rarely followed by the system’s end users. Not long after, Rick, not terribly interested in becoming a “potted plant,” chose to move on…to much greener pastures.
If a company doesn’t want “potted plants” for employees, they shouldn’t grow them by burying their ideas.
Monitor “employee sediment,” indeed.
