How Excellent Companies Avoid Dumb Things

The Eight Barriers

Regardless of their size or industry, all companies inadvertently erect hidden barriers that keep them from doing their best work. These obstacles may be structural or behavioral, and they may appear across all levels of an organization. There are eight main barriers:

1. “Avoiding Controversy”

Companies often suffer because internal leaders don’t want to deal with controversial issues. Managers avoid making decisions because they won’t risk angering one staff member in favor of another. Although CEOs are the “ultimate boss,” they don’t want to be seen as micromanagers or “risk having a revolt.” People who avoid confrontation get promoted quickly because they’re personable and nonthreatening. Their promotions leave problems festering.

To break this barrier – and all other barriers – change your processes. When the people in a company work together to solve problems, managers can no longer avoid making decisions. With a structured process in place, a workforce will focus more on solutions and less on who errs. Although most people are capable of dealing with controversy and conflict, three personality types are particularly prone to dodging...