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Seth Godin has a knack for making new distinctions for every-day occurrences in life. His latest is "sheepwalking". Seth defines sheepwalking as, "…hiring people who have been raised to be obedient and giving them a braindead job and enough fear to keep them in line." Some might say that is cynical. Others might see themselves in the description. Seth goes on to say, "…sheepwalking is actually on the rise."
Could sheepwalking lead to malicious compliance?
Seth has me wondering. Where are sheepwalkers working? How might they find their way to our projects? What might happen? Is sheepwalking reversible? Is there really such a thing as sheepwalking?
While working in a very large company years ago, I encountered the expression "malicious compliance". In short, it's when people do what they've been asked (told) to do with the knowledge that it will lead to negative consequences. Intellectually I understood the idea, but I can't accept it. It contradicts what I believe and seen about human nature…that people basically act out of good will. Yet, I recognized situations where malicious compliance reasonably described circumstances. Could it be that sheepwalking leads to malicious compliance? Could it be that I'm making up a relationship that doesn't exist? Or, is Seth wrong?
? Guy Kawasaki wrote, "Less is the new more." Easy to learn: symmetry, seduction, subtraction, and sustainability. Very valuable to do. Step 1: Read Matt's book!! just 140 keystrokes.
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{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
I agree that there is a relationship between Seth’s sheepwalking description and malicious compliance. I’d make the key distinction that people who are sheepwalking do what they are told even if it will lead to negative consequences, ONLY IF those consequences won’t impact them in a direct manner. Even sheepwalkers tend to speak up if they can see that an act of compliance is going to cause them personal pain.
Sheepwalkers are not too concerned about the well-being of the entities they belong to, but they are human beings and their self-interest is alive and well.
IMO, “sheepwalking” is alive and well within the construction industry… especially at the trade level… but whilst I agree with Seth’s “sheepwalking” concept, I don’t necessarily agree with his definition, as I consider it to be a little too narrow.
In addition to those “… who have been raised to be obedient and giving them a braindead job and enough fear to keep them in line.”, might I also add those who have been beaten down by a comand and control management culture that doesn’t allow them to think and provide valuable input, as well as a worryingly increasing number of operatives who really just don’t give a damn about the quality of whatever they do.
In a recent project I’ve been involved with, where we have tried to implement the “Last Planner” system, there has been lots of resistance from trade foremen to even get involved… with the comments coming back indicating that they would rather just be told what to do by their line manager or the site manager, rather than actually have to think about planning the work to be done or worrying about if the planned work could actually be done.
From a “malicious compliance” situation, I’ve seen examples of work being carried out as per documents provided, eventhough it was obvious that there was an error in those documents and a simple clarification would have saved a large amount of rework. Similarly, where work has been carried out knowing full well that prerequsite work from other trades had not been completed… again resulting in avoidable rework.
I could also go onto the issue of the quality of workmanship and what is considered “acceptable”… but I’m sure there is no need to go there. And its not like these people are in “braindead” jobs, as there is ususlly a lot of thinking required and lots of work diversity involved. I think that major problems with the culture of the industry as well as changes in societal values are contributing significantly to these issues and is probably where efforts need to be focused.
How to create a Sheepwalker:
Instructions: narrowly define people’s jobs, assign them a ‘role’, and identify them on a chart as a ‘resource’, a cost and a deadline. Reinforce with compensation systems that encourage people to act like machines. Spread with communications stressing efficiency, low cost, control, and blamability. In a constrained environment, mix the workers’ desire to do a good job with the reality of trying to live up to unreasonable estimates based on naive (and hopeful) input, building a sense of helplessness and frustration to the point of shutting down all unnecessary senses. Sprinkle with disregarded or discouraged attempts at telling truth to harried and hurried managers and mix with feelings of insignificance and powerlessness.
Voila. A context in which most any of us would ultimately either shut down or walk away. Add life’s pressures to make a living and it becomes a wonder that anyone is NOT sheepwalking.
Are there really sheepwalkers? The facts:
According to the 2003 Towers Perrin Talent Report, over 25% of hourly, non-managerial workers reported being disengaged from their work. I quote: “Roughly 40% of respondents (at all levels) had negative emotions about their current work experience. The reasons come down to excessive workoads, lack of faith in management (it’s competence not its integrity), anxiety about job security, lack of challenge in the work, and insufficient recognition for the level of contribution and effort provided.”
The facts seem to speak for themselves.
Malicious compliance? I don’t know about the malice – that seems like a less than generous interpretation by someone not in the trenches. Perhaps it would just as fairly be said this is a natural consequence of feeling like no one cares what we say anyway. Okay, I’ve seen a few cases of frustration built to the level of ‘malicious compliance’. More often than not it was because the worker hoped that if something finally broke, something different might take the place of the system that was wearing them down. It rarely works that way but hope springs eternal.