An Infection That Festers Over Time…

Originally shared in A Daily Dose Of Leadership on July 22, 2020.

In October ‘05, I was hit nearly head on by a kid who was apparently training to race at Indianapolis. While I was able to walk away from the incident (it definitely wasn’t an accident because he clearly chose the behaviors that caused it), I was transported to the local ER and diagnosed with a significant case of whiplash. Prior to that, I had a little bit of experience with chiropractors and had a good friend who owned a practice in town. Rather than immediately filling the prescription I was given at the ER to mask the intense pain I was experiencing, my next stop was at my friend’s office to begin treating the issues that were causing that pain.

While it did indeed take a while to get as close to normal as possible, I noticed significant relief in just that first visit – without the opiates that had yet to gain the attention they have today. Over the weeks that followed, Dr. T continued to work on the root cause of the pain, getting my neck and shoulders to where they were supposed to be, after being hit by the kid that was literally on two wheels as he went into the turn before bouncing from the guard rail into me. Had I stuck with the meds, I’m not sure I would have ever gotten the real issue resolved – and who knows where weeks and weeks of opiate use to treat the symptoms would have led…

In the last blog, we looked at Simon Sinek’s reference to what he calls “Ethical Fading” and I shared his statement that it’s “not an event. It doesn’t just suddenly arrive like a switch was flipped. It’s more like an infection that festers over time.”

While the pain I was experiencing was absolutely the result of an event, the approach the ER suggested in treating was extremely similar to how infections are often treated; prescribe some sort of medication to address the issue that’s glaring. But just like taking an opiate to mask the pain I was experiencing, taking an antibiotic that’s only targeting the infection without identifying and treating the root cause may never lead to the results we really need.

With regards to Ethical Fading, more specifically the infection that festers over time from the fading, organizations often build processes to address the infection – I mean the issue… And more often than not, the processes put in place to address those issues only happen when there’s a headline calling attention to the issue or some other form of very public outcry!

That’s exactly what we’re seeing right now with whatever we’re supposed to call the Washington football team; around the name and mascot as well as with the sexual abuse allegations against Snyder and the gang. Apparently that crap has been going on for years, but now that it’s getting media attention there’s a demand that he’s stripped of ownership. Let’s be honest here, anyone who was actually a fan of the team itself has wanted him to be stripped of ownership for the last twenty years. And I have no doubt that the scandal we’re all hearing about right now was a complete secret in or around the organization prior to this. But since the media now has a hand on it, something’s got to be done!

Later on in The Infinite Game, Sinek provides several similar examples and states that “today when a company does right by the people, it is too often a result of public pressure or scandal and rarely a proactive decision made to protect those they serve and advance their cause.”

In the next blog, we’ll take a look at an organization that implemented a very specific rule that forced compliance in order to address a systemic issue that’s now something of a joke in many circles. For now though, I’ll leave you with this to consider: if an organization makes public statements and implements strict policies only after there’s a significant public focus on their issue, do you think they really care about the issue in question – or do they possibly care more that they’ve been caught red handed?