The Struggle is Real: Complacency Kills

My wife and I went through Chik-fil-A this past weekend and were amazed at how they had adapted to become even more profitable during the Covid pandemic.  The logistics of how they moved two drive-thru lines, the adaptation to ordering on the online app and then having it delivered to your car, Uber for delivery, etc. were all amazingly efficient and productive.  The customer service and attitude of employees toward customers was pleasant and it creates an environment that is conducive to productivity.  Have our schools adapted in the same manner as this company with the opportunities presented by Covid?  Everything is in how we approach and frame situations…….are they challenges that seem insurmountable or are they opportunities for improvement and innovation?  The best way to overcome an obstacle seeming insurmountable is to start working on it. 

 

One of the most dangerous things for any organization is complacency….”that’s how we’ve always done it.”   The opportunity for change and improvement is critical for organizational success.  The ability of an organization  to be a “learning organization” is imperative and the ability of an organization to be able to synthesize data effectively and make changes based on data in a timely manner is a competitive advantage.  Most fast-food places are still doing business as usual and possibly have added a second ordering station, but haven’t they shown the competitive advantage to maximize the situation.  Pat Riley said “Complacency is the last hurdle standing between any team and its potential greatness.”  Complacency also goes to the heart of the difference in leadership and management.  Managers make some changes to help ensure the organization operates effectively and follow the template laid out for them.  Leadership requires vision, ingenuity, a disdain for complacency, tact to motivate others and empower them to act, and is focused on making sure the ship gets to the right destination and not just that it merely operates smoothly.  Greatness is allergic to average and doesn’t take place in the presence of complacency and mediocrity.

  

Four Causes of Complacency

1. Foregoing a “Moment of Insight”

Brent Gleeson, the author of Taking Point, says, “Most organizations that continue to succeed and innovate have a culture poised for positive change and taking a risk.”

 2. Maintaining a Sense of Overconfidence

Another reason why organizations stay in a state of complacency is due to an excessive sense of self-confidence.  I’ve often been asked “is it ever good enough for you?”  My answer is usually something in the neighborhood of good is the enemy of great.  We can always improve and should be pushing to improve.  Sometimes overconfidence stems from a false sense of security. “We’ve never had anything bad happen before, and the probability is so small that we can let our guards down.”  Teams take their cues from leadership, which means leadership must always be pushing to improve. 

 3. Having a False Sense of Reality

It’s human nature to be lulled into complacency.  Many times we aren’t as good as we want to believe that we are and we all have the ability to constantly improve.  Leadership have to be comfortable in being uncomfortable and transcend this to employees . 

 4. The Tendency to Make Excuses

Similar to having a false sense of reality, complacency thrives with people and in environments where excuses are made and accepted.

 

Complacency can be the most dangerous mindset to an individual or organization.  When you begin to work on “auto-pilot” mode, and stop paying attention to what you are doing, that can lead to taking short cuts and/or taking risks, not being proactive in preventing problems, not constantly pushing a climate of high expectations, etc. We’ve all seen or worked with someone that was one “auto-pilot” or “cruise.”  They don’t seek the moment of insight and instead wait for the ship to spring a leak instead of being proactive in preventing the leak or fixing it immediately when it starts.  These employees have a lack of urgency in ensuring the organization’s success and can be toxic to the culture of the organization.   Once complacency takes root in an organization, it’s hard to change course.

 

Seven Strategies for Warding Off Complacency

1. Be clear on your long-term vision (no more than two years out) and your short-term goals needed to make that vision a reality.
2. Have a specific plan for each day.
3. Give yourself specific time each week—no more than one hour—to think strategically and evaluate where you are and if you are heading in the right direction.
4. Challenge your team to think.
5. Encourage and reward innovation.
6. Create a formal process to learn from mistakes.
7. Invest time and money to improve your skills and knowledge.

 

The military has a mantra that “complacency kills.” In fact, signs with this message are often posted at their bases and outposts. They know that complacency in combat may mean the difference between life and death.  In the world of education, complacency means that we leave students behind, that we fail to educate students at our highest possible level, that we are okay with status quo, that we aren’t fully reaching our individual or organizational potential in any capacity (instructional or educational).   It was interesting to watch Tom Brady last season and then Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots this offseason.  Brady was determined to win this past season, especially in the playoffs.  It would’ve been easy to be content with his prior Superbowl wins and MVP awards, but the competitor in him wanted more and wanted to prove something.  After a disappointing season without Tom Brady, Bill Belichick has had a great offseason in signing free agents and upgrading the level of talent on the Patriots.  He’s over 70 years old, won Superbowls with multiple teams, almost has a Superbowl ring for every finger….yet he’s competitive to want to get better and win more.  Both are examples of great leaders.  Neither one is accepting of mediocrity.  Both are allergic to average.  Greatness is the standards for both, nothing less is accepted.  Leadership must squash complacency and create a sense of urgency for any organization to be great.