April 2000Silent Rage - avoiding "Kill the Messenger" mentality
Go silent into that goodnight or be the flame that burns bright? That is my question. Rage against the machine or bow to the will and greater good of Big Brother? That is my dilemma. I think I understand employee motivation better now. It's not kill or be killed as many would have you believe. Rather, it's avoid being the slaughtered Roman messenger (or Greek, whatever). There's a lesson here for bosses as well as employees. If you're a boss, or part of the executive, realize this: If you (or I) create an atmosphere where the individual is less than the whole - you will be right, one way or another. If you're an employee, you know the first lesson - survival. What you may not have considered is that in repressing the message (to avoid the above "kill the messenger" issue), you may not just be hurting the company. It's that "never compromise your own principles thang." It matters at some point.
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