Let’s Stop Excusing Bad Behavior
In today’s world, “politically correct” language has run amok, leaving dysfunction in its wake. Instead of engaging in candid conversations, people tiptoe around issues or situations for any number of reasons: they don’t want to upset others, they’re uncomfortable dealing with emotions, or they don’t want to jeopardize their personal interests. As a result, we allow poor performance and even “unacceptable” outcomes to flourish. Examples of the toxicity of politically correct language and its dysfunctional outcomes abound in the news. Here are a few of the most recent:
Here’s the problem: politically correct language provides cover for those whose bad or illegal choices harm others because it excuses or rationalizes their actions. Failing to hold people accountable due to fear of being labeled politically incorrect creates a toxic work environment and opens the door to victimhood and feelings of helplessness and despair. But it doesn’t have to be this way. We have a choice: to continue to enable bad behavior and harmful outcomes by tolerating “political correctness” or to say “no” to victimhood by insisting on accountability. We start by using candid language that clearly reflects reality and refuses to excuse or rationalize bad choices and harmful outcomes. Here are four steps you can take to enable candid conversations in your organization:
If you would like to learn more about how a lack of candor can hurt your organization, and how you can realize the benefits of an environment in which candid conversations are the norm, take a look at our article Why and How to Drive the Political Correctness “Elephant” Out of Your Workplace. To find other articles and resources that may be of value to you, I invite you to visit my web site at www.BusinessAlignmentStrategies.com and my blog at www.OptimizeBusinessResults.com. Alignment Solutions is a concise, bi-weekly newsletter written specifically to help organizational leaders optimize their business results. Your e-mail address is never shared with anyone for any reason. You may unsubscribe by clicking the link on the bottom of this e-mail.
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Archive for October, 2015
Alignment Solutions Newsletter: Let’s Stop Excusing Bad Behavior and Harmful Outcomes
Wednesday, October 14th, 2015Posted in Newsletters | No Comments »