The Most Expensive Mistake Organizations Make
One of the most expensive mistakes organizations make isn't hiring the wrong people.
It isn't choosing the wrong strategy.
It isn't even making the wrong decision.
It's solving the wrong problem.
Too often, leaders prescribe before they diagnose.
An employee engagement survey reveals low morale.
The response?
A pizza party.
A happy hour.
Free company swag.
A catered lunch.
None of those things are bad.
They're only ineffective when they answer a question no one was asking.
I experienced this firsthand.
Some time ago, our leadership team discussed ways to invest in employees. One proposal was to reboot a series of after-hours happy hours.
I offered a different perspective.
What if the greatest investment wasn't asking employees to spend more time with us?
What if it was investing those resources into benefits they could use with the people who matter most to them?
We moved forward with the happy hours.
I supported the decision wholeheartedly.
Attendance was low.
Eventually, the events stopped.
Many organizations would call that a failed initiative.
I wouldn't.
I'd call it a diagnosis.
The low attendance wasn't the problem.
It was the answer.
Our employees weren't rejecting appreciation.
They were communicating something.
"We value our time."
"We have families."
"We're tired."
"We already spend forty hours a week together."
The event didn't fail.
It revealed a truth.
Here's what I've learned:
Every organizational response is based on a diagnosis—whether you've intentionally made one or not.
The danger isn't making the wrong decision.
The danger is answering a question your employees were never asking.
That's why listening is one of the most strategic responsibilities of leadership.
Not listening to defend.
Not listening to explain.
Not listening just long enough to confirm what you already believe.
Listening to understand.
Because every organization is speaking.
Turnover is speaking.
Burnout is speaking.
Exit interviews are speaking.
Stay interviews are speaking.
Silence is speaking.
The question isn't whether your employees are communicating.
The question is whether leadership is listening.
The quality of your solutions will never exceed the quality of your diagnosis.
Kimberly D. Sanders
Executive Advisor • Creator of The Third Perspective™ • Diagnosing before prescribing.
Reflect
Where does this problem live?
☐ Person
☐ Leader
☐ System
What organizational problem are you trying to solve—and how confident are you that you've diagnosed it correctly?
