Plausible Deniability
What you don’t know CAN hurt you…
Who empties the trashcan in your office? What is the name of the company chef who knows your order from memory? How long has your secretary been married? When is your college intern’s graduation? Did the Human Resources Director’s son get accepted into their preschool of choice? The scenarios will vary by office, by organization, by ministry, etc.; yet, the underlying principle remains consistent…do you know with whom you are working?
Often, for several misguided superiors, the relevance of subordinate personnel is underestimated. They fail to recognize the impact the performance of coworkers (or lack thereof) has on the individual, the division and ultimately the entity overall. Furthermore, the direct correlation between the happiness & well being of employees or volunteers and their families with their work ethic is typically ignored.
It is one’s duty and more importantly, his or her obligation, to learn the rights, responsibilities and requirements of their position. That is the professional expectation when one is hired; however, to maximize influence and further guarantee success, the individual must connect beyond facts and into figures, people that is.
When the employee feels the employer has a vested interest in who they are and who they are seeking to become, they avail themselves to a deeper level of fiduciary commitment to the tasks and vision at hand. Their dedication extends beyond the job and produces unprecedented vulnerability subjected to the admiration and appreciation of the senior official. Subconscious loyalty now fuels every thought, every word, every deed.
Why is that significant? The concept is quite elementary: Invest in them and they invest in you. The project, the acquisition, the merger, the product, the capital plan, the industry goals, etc., each becomes a priority solely based upon their association with you. What matters to you now matters to them meaning they take your victory personally. You. Can’t. Lose.
Beyond the sincere acknowledgment of those parties who comprise the staff and therefore the face of your organization, a director must regularly assess the weaknesses and threats, which could alter or negatively affect the brand image, receipt of profits, and potential for growth and expansion. Ignoring a quandary doesn’t make it go away. Moreover, you can’t comprise a resolution to an issue you first fail to identify.
As the senior authority, “I don’t (didn’t) know” is NEVER an acceptable response regarding people or problems…when you’re in charge, plausible deniability simply isn’t good enough.
TeF