Most of what I have been reading and reviewing over these past 20+ months has been looking at leadership principles and ideas from a fairly serious perspective. Leading people should be serious however, there comes a time to look at the comedic aspects and learn lessons from a bit of a different perspective. So many working professionals connect with Scott Adams’ creative work in his nationally syndicated comic “Dilbert”. I believe that a principle reason for our appreciation ties to them portraying the prevalent irony in our jobs.
Not only does the reader get to be entertained by Dilbert comics, there are also real-life examples from individual email messages send to Scott Adams. The best comedians address issues and realities of their time and area of influence. They are skilled at making observations of real events, and help their audience find the humor and irony. Scott Adams has masterfully portrayed much of our work culture.
How many of us have heard the corporate message, “Everything is great, sales are up and revenue is higher than last year”, only to be followed (or in some cases preceded) with a reduction in force (aka RIF)? I am not proclaiming that this is funny. With comics like Dilbert, we get to see that this kind of activity is not isolated. The fact that these messages are only hollow, meaningless words is conveyed in a light-hearted and very real manner.
In the final chapter, Scott Adams brings a serious note to a healthy working environment. He introduces a concept he calls Out At 5 (OA5). This is the kind of company that respects the employee’s personal time and life. They compliment the idea that people should be working to live, not living to work. Concepts like focusing on fundamentals, getting out of the employees way to success, and encouraging learning through professional education or training organizations are all part of an OA5 company.
I am learning that the closer we can stay with the KISS (Keep it Simple, Stupid) principle, the better we can execute on providing exceptional service, solutions, and ideas. It is far too easy to over complicate what it takes to provide a quality product at a reasonable price within a reliable time-frame. For some, it is easy to see where complications arise to create difficulties. It is okay to rely on the strengths of others and let them point this stuff out.
As leaders it is imperative that we take time out to think through principles like OA5 and KISS. What are you doing to lead those in your care? More complex processes do not lead to better results. Exhausted workers do not provide higher levels of quality. Larger quantity of product does not equal higher quality yield in outcome. Increased short-term profit does not produce better long-term results.
Keep this in mind as you navigate your work day. Find a mentor who will help you, as they can provide a fresh perspective. Get into a master-mind group to help accelerate your learning and growth. These are just some of the resources each leader needs to succeed is having a significant life and being respected in your role.