Thursday, July 14th, was a tough day. It was the busiest day I’ve had at work and one of the most stressful and disappointing so far. Within the last three weeks, changes have been made to the organizational structure, and my team now is broken up and in different departments. I joked with a co-worker that it feels like a new school year, and I don’t know where my classes are.
One of the most upsetting things is how changes were never communicated beforehand and done without explanation. We are expected to oblige and get used to it, but why is that the case if we’re not being respected with our time and work?
This question reminds me of a quote from Danny Meyer in “Setting the Table: The Transforming Power of Hospitality in Business.” I just learned this myself, but Meyer is the owner of top restaurants Union Square Cafe, Gramercy Tavern, and Shake Shack in New York (amongst many others).
In explaining his “hallmarks of effective leadership,” Meyer gives the example of a boy throwing rocks into a pond full of frogs on lily pads. The frogs, without warning, are toppled off their lily pads each time a rock is thrown. Meyer explains that if the frogs had been given a heads up about the upcoming rock, they would have had time to adjust and not have as big an impact as they did without warning. Meyer elaborates on this concept below:
People who aren't alerted in advance about a decision that will affect them may become angry and hurt. They're confused, out of the loop; they feel as though they've been knocked off their lily pads. When team members complain about poor communication, they're essentially saying, "You did not give me advance warning or input about that decision you made. By the time I learned about it, the decision had already happened to me, and I was unprepared." Team members will generally go with the flow and be willing to hop over the ripples, so long as they know in advance that you are going to toss the rock, when you'll be tossing it, how big it is, and--mostly--why you're choosing to toss it in the first place.
In my case, a huge rock was thrown and — most importantly — without explanation. You can imagine how angry I was at how inconsiderate our leadership is. That’s why, when I came across this song by My Morning Jacket, I couldn’t help but resonate and feel like I was screaming.