We're Sabotaging our own workplaces

I was lost in a Rabbit Hole of internet newsletters and resources, as I tend to do on a Friday evening, and I stumbled across this declassified "Simple Sabotage Field Manual" published by the Office of Strategic Services in 1944.

It was declassified in 2008 and is remarkable reading.

In fact, the sabotage guidance could read like a "Ways of Working" handbook for many companies.

After more research and internet trawling, I also unearthed the ZINE newsletter. Now subscribed. The authors also referenced this Field Manual and pulled out exactly the same sabotage guidance from the manual as I had highlighted. Great minds and all that.

As you read the following, think about your own workplace.

You may recognise many of these as "Business As Usual" in some companies:

1. “Insist on doing everything through 'channels.' Never permit shortcuts to be taken in order to expedite decisions...”
   1. ROB: Let's also create RAPIDS, decision making guides, RACI matrices and Target Operating Models, and ensure at least one person has the "D" in our org design, but can't use the "D" because other people have strong opinions and outrank them, effectively giving them a sudo "D".
2. “Make 'speeches.' Talk as frequently as possible and at great length...”
   1. ROB: If you've sat the Communication Superpower Course I cover how to close these people down...because yes, they are sabotaging everything.
3. “Refer all matters to committees for further study and consideration...”“Attempt to make the committees as large as possible - never less than five...”
   1. ROB : They do say committees are where good ideas go to die.
4. “Haggle over precise wordings of communications...”
   1. ROB : Everyone's got an opinion. I'd also add here - try to be efficient with all communications. This will indeed miss the purpose and ensure it's not relevant for the audience too. A sure fire way to create misdirection, ill feelings and resentment.
5. “Refer back to matters decided upon at the last meeting...”
   1. ROB : Oh yes, the repeat meetings where the same topic is discussed even though a conclusion was reached. Let's go back to it again and chat it through again, because we're now not sure it was the right decision.
6. “Advocate ‘caution’ and urge your fellow-conferees to be ‘reasonable’ and avoid haste...”
   1. ROB : Keep slowing everything down until the regular pace of the business can be matched to that of a sloth.
7. “Insist on perfect work in relatively unimportant products...”
   1. ROB : Never ship it. Not until it's just right...at which point it won't be relevant to the marketplace, or our customer's have moved on to something, or someone, else. Apply this to all work, even email responses.
8. “To lower morale, and with it production, be pleasant to inefficient workers; give them undeserved promotions...”
   1. ROB : Ha. This one is genius. I've written about this plenty of times before.
9. “Demand written orders...”
   1. ROB : Nothing can be done without an email from the boss.
10. “Ask endless questions...”
    1. ROB : Hmmm. Questions do keep the business alive, but only if there are enough of them to seek clarity and alignment, then it's time to close the mind and deliver the outcome.
11. “See that three people have to approve everything where one would do...”
    1. ROB : Oh yes, the Steer-Co, the committee, the team who have no role power...

Many of these recommended sabotage techniques are common in business, particularly Enterprise sized organisation, and are exactly the kinds of things we'd tackle (and solve) if we're Releasing Agility.

These kinds of activities feel like due diligence, but they slow an organisation down. They are indeed how to sabotage - straight from the CIA. And we're doing this to ourselves.