Scientists call it the observer effect. It’s what happens when the act of observation affects what they’re observing. Werner Heisenberg used it to develop his uncertainty principle. It’s why medical researchers use double-blind treatment trials and placebo controls.
All Posts in Business Ethics
Which refuge?
When it comes to leadership, coercion is the first refuge of the lazy.
Last week’s column put forth this modest little aphorism, and its proof:
- In healthy organizations, excellent employees, individually and working in teams, presented with a terrific idea and a well-thought-out plan for implementing it, will want to make it real and will work hard to do so.
- Therefore, in healthy organizations, coercion, threats, and punishments are, at best, superfluous.
- Therefore, if employees who are presented with an idea and a plan don’t want to make it real and/or aren’t willing to work hard to do so … if, in other words, coercion, threats, and punishments are necessary … then the organization is unhealthy in one or more of these respects: