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Volume 3 Number 18 July
8, 2005 |
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Symbol and myth Believing the stories we -- or others -- tell can
also lead us astray Last time I wrote about symbols and reality, and the danger that comes from confusing the symbol with the reality itself. I did this in the context of people who want to "save" the flag by diminishing what it is the flag (a symbol) represents. In response to the column, a reader, "a.abaire," has written two thoughtful posts on the Enterprise Ethics discussions, raising the issue of symbols in business and what happens when they become disconnected from reality. One post reads: "It seems to me
that we run into trouble with symbols when they become empty or misleading.
There is a disconnect between what the symbol is supposed to represent and
the way the symbol is actually used. Sometimes a symbol becomes a substitute
for a reality rather than something that points to a reality. "Where I work,
we have posted in all of our conference rooms four principles, dealing with
customer focus, integrity, respect, and excellence. In a sense, these
principles have become symbols for how we see ourselves as an enterprise.
Upper management refers to them frequently in addresses to the staff. Of
course, the execution is imperfect, and there are different perceptions of
the degree of imperfection, and even of what constitutes an imperfection. "Customer focus
includes, quite naturally, the fact that we have to make money off our
customers in order to keep the enterprise running. However, we sell products
that, at least tacitly, we admit might not really serve the customer's self
interest. We don't merely offer these products, but we work very hard at
persuading customers to buy them because these products have high profit
margins. What then, are the intent and the reality behind our symbol of
customer focus? "What are the
measures of excellence? We have Six Sigma programs, professional
certifications, project management offices, quality assurance programs, and
so forth, all in the name of promoting excellence. Sometimes they actually
work, and sometimes they are merely window dressing--empty symbols to
persuade others that we are focused on excellence, when we are really
preoccupied with just making it through the day. "I think this will do as a starter. I'm interested in hearing what other people consider to be important symbols in the business world. What are the intentions and the realities? Then maybe we can get some discussion going on what are the ethical concerns." Unfortunately, nobody took the reader up on his request. I say "unfortunately," because I think, as does he, that it's an important topic, and one that many of us come across all the time -- the disconnect between what a business says and what it does. Sometimes the disconnect is nothing but PR department spin. I have a friend who, rushing to get things done, drove up to his favorite ATM, only to find a sign that the machine was permanently closed -- "for your convenience" -- and that he could get money by driving across town. Only in the mind of a PR functionary would sending someone across town be considered a "convenience." I recently received a notice from my credit card company announcing "exciting news." They were changing the name from a VISA "special service account" to a VISA "double special service account" -- or something as nonsensical as that. At the same time, they were doing away with some of the card benefits, increasing potential penalties on me, and raising the annual fee. Whoopee! (I canceled the card.) But, this isn't what the reader was talking about. However, to begin a discussion of his very important question, we need to make a few things clear. What he referred to are not properly called symbols, and any fruitful discussion requires that we be clear on the terminology. Symbols are generally taken to mean physical objects, which in and of themselves have no particular value or meaning, but which point to a greater reality, often invisible or intangible. So, a strip of cloth hanging from a pole isn't much of anything until we invest it with the task of being a pointer to the national ethos. Then, it becomes a symbol. Two sticks of wood joined at right angles have no real meaning until we make them a symbol of a set of religious beliefs. Then, they point to a powerful reality. A few smears of paint on the side of a building are just vandalism, until we realize that the smears form a swastika and the building is a synagogue. Then, it is no longer simple vandalism, but a symbol of a potent hatred. In the corporate world, however, I'm hard-pressed to find any symbols, physical objects that point to a greater, non-physical reality. The big corner office could be considered a symbol of power. Whoever sits in that coveted location has power and authority. But it's rare that this symbol is confused with the reality. When the janitor takes his evening break in the big chair in the big office, no one imagines for a moment that he is in charge. And when some lesser person is allowed to use the office -- in the boss' absence perhaps -- then the symbolism and the reality is quite clear. The person has influence and is someone to be reckoned with. The things that "a.abaire" speaks about are more properly called "myths." Now, the word "myth" has a bad reputation, and many people take it to mean either fairy tales or fabrications -- or such legends as the Loch Ness Monster. Myths, however, are as powerful as symbols, and are an important part of explaining who we are and what we're doing. We have national myths that
we tell each other to explain the origin of our country and how we see
ourselves. Ask any school child and most adults and you'll be told that the
Pilgrims came to Most religions have myths, often in metaphysical poetry, that explain how the world came to be and our place within it. They talk about how we were "created," "condemned," "saved" or "enlightened" or whatever metaphor the mythology employs. What leads some believers astray is when they confuse the myth with reality and begin to think the metaphysical poetry is strict, journalistic fact. And in the business world we have myths. We have mission statements, codes of ethics, statements about the value of employees, "excellence" programs, and scores of other things that define how the company would like to believe it operates -- and would like others to believe. But like symbols, and like other myths, the trouble starts when people start confusing the myth with the reality. To see a clear example of this, read the Enron code of ethics. At a time when the company
was deliberately laying waste to the At a time when Enron traders were boasting and chortling over "sticking it to Grandma Millie" with exorbitant power rates and rolling blackouts, the ethics statement said "We treat other as we would like to be treated ourselves. . . . Ruthlessness, callousness, and arrogance don't belong here." At a time when Enron was creating phony power shortages in order to boost the price of electricity, the ethics statement said "We work with customers and prospects openly, honestly, and sincerely." At a time when -- if you believe the criminals in charge -- no one in Enron management knew what the others were doing, the code of ethics said "Here, we take to time to talk with one another -- and to listen." At a time when Enron was busy becoming the poster child for corporate corruption, the ethics code said "The great fun here will be for all of us to discover just how good we can really be." Now, I have no doubt that many lower level employees at Enron believed the mythology of the ethics code. Why else would they have invested their life savings in Enron stock? But it was, when all was said and done, a myth. It was a story that Enron executives told each other and the world that outlined what they wanted people to believe. The ones who suffered were the ones who accepted the mythology as fact. While it may not be as dramatic as the Enron example, it would be surprising if you hadn't encountered a similar situation -- either as an employee or a customer. "How may I provide you with excellent customer service?" asked the eager young man who answered the phone when I called to cancel the aforementioned credit card. "Well," I said, "you can cancel my card as quickly as possible and let me get back to work." Of course, he didn't. He tried to get me to keep the card, telling me how much he used his and how he traveled all the time, piling up benefits. I suspected he didn't, especially since his distinctive accent led me to believe he was making $3 an hour, which doesn't allow much leeway for extensive air travel. He tried to "put" me in a different card. He told me -- in so many words and incorrectly -- that in order to keep the frequent flier miles I had accrued on the card, I would need to sign on for another card. His myth of "excellent customer service," also learned in a seminar, quickly dissolved into a charade. How many of you have been in a situation -- I have -- where despite the company's claim that employees are its "most important assets" and are considered "family," the first sign of a downturn in profits means not that the folks in the executive suite start serving domestic champagne on the corporate jet (horrors), but that they start a slash and burn program to throw the valued "assets" and "family members" overboard? How about situations where the myth of the "commitment to excellence" is belied by the decision to cut corners in quality, raise prices -- sometimes surreptitiously through smaller quantities for the same price or hidden charges? How often do companies, despite their "commitment to excellence," turn bugs into "features," or hide known defects from buyers? Every organization has its myths -- sometimes honestly crafted and, at other times cynical and deliberately deceptive. But many times the myth outstrips the reality and those who suffer are those who confuse one for the other. |
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© Copyright 2005 Carlton Vogt |