Leaders Who Cry Wolf May Leave Their Flock to be Eaten
As the story goes a child shepherd, seeking attention, cries false alarms of “Wolf! Wolf!” on several occasions. Over time, the townspeople and neighbors learn to ignore his cries and soon, stop responding at all. As a result, when a wolf really does come and the boy shouts for help again, he’s left to fend for himself. The wolf eats the flock and, in some versions, even eats the boy. This tale offers wisdom to us in a business context as well.
Have you ever seen someone jump from fire drill to fire drill because their boss believed every issue was a crisis? Often, this stems from the culture of the organization and the overreaction is simply passed down the chain of command. Regardless of their source, constant fire drills may:
1. Burnout employees
2. Reduce creativity and innovation
3. Emphasize expedience over quality
Matt Edmundson
Al
MrLich
PM Hut