How to Handle Grumblers? Fukuda’s Parable in the Age of AI (part 2)

 

So how should we handle Grumblers? Some years ago, I introduced a transformation metaphor in a book called Andy & Me. The metaphor & underlying principles hold true & help us navigate intense turbulence. 

The Most Common Mistake

Grumblers comprise 10 to 20% of the organization. They cross their arms & resist any change. ‘This is sure to fail,’ they mutter. ‘The old way was perfectly fine.’ Common mistake: paying attention to Grumblers, giving them a platform or trying to understand or change them. The truth is, you can almost never change them, and if you do, it’s rarely worth the effort. [Caveat: on occasion, you’ll discover a Grumbler who is capable & cares deeply but has been thwarted by poor management. Such people can be diamonds in the rough.] How to manage Grumblers?  Here are noteworthy approaches.

Steve Jobs, Jack Welch & Toyota

No bozos ever! Steve Jobs’ wise & witty aphorism informed Apple during its glory years. The key, Jobs suggested, was to screen Grumblers & other bozos in the recruitment phase. (‘No bozos ever’ is a robust philosophy in all areas of life, no?)

Cull the bozos! Jack Welch’s philosophy centered on candid feedback, aggressive talent differentiation (the "20-70-10" model), and empowering CHROs to act as the "Head of Player Personnel" to build winning teams. Welch famously declared that CHROs were as important as CFOs.

Everybody deserves a chance. This is Toyota’s philosophy, which I absorbed as a young manager & engineer. This can work well if you have an excellent recruiting, training & development systems, as well as a fair process for culling Grumblers.  (Companies with strong team cultures often let teams handle difficult internal issues & generally support the team’s personnel decisions.)

My Preference: Ignore the Grumblers

My preference is to ignore Grumblers. Do not try to argue, understand or provide them with a platform. This may seem counter-intuitive.  (Shouldn’t we fix our weak points?) Grumblers are an energy & creativity sink. Focus on developing & rewarding your Rowers.

Proviso: If a Grumbler is actively sabotaging your transformation efforts, you must act.

Grumblers in the Age of AI

Here’s a common scenario: We’re working on a major improvement or Innovation project. We have access to AI agents & related tools, but a minority resist new ways of working.  Some are overt in their resistance.  (I have a PhD in marketing. What is this Growth Hacking stuff?). They’ll openly argue & actively resist any change.

Other grumblers are more subtle and play various destructive power games. Here are a few:

·       Blame game – (See what you made me do!)

·       Scapegoating

·       Withholding information

·       ‘Silly bugger’ (British slang) – wasting time, fooling around, or acting in an annoying way.

World class management systems make What is Actually Happening visible. (This is one of my priorities in any mentoring engagement.) You can run but you cannot hide.  Grumblers, game-players, fakers and the like are quickly exposed.

I advise my mentees to create stages, forums, and ‘shows’ wherein your stars can shine. These can be Shark Tanks, Innovation Councils, Pitch Competitions, Problem Solving Fairs and the like.  The point is to provide a showcase for your best and brightest. And added bonus is that Grumblers are exposed & usually neutralized by the bright light of reality.

More to come, stay tuned.

Best wishes,

Pascal Dennis         E: pascal.dennis@leansystems.org