To Ponder: Dissonant Decisions

This week, one my advisory clients received one the most bureaucratic decisions from ‘down the line’ that I’ve heard in a long time.

This client is leading a project to resolve several key public-facing system vulnerabilities. However, he needed a decision on whether his proposed 12 month plan was acceptable, or if it would need to be accelerated.

And here’s the response this client received from higher up the executive structure:

“You have provisional approval to stop work”.

Which, after deciphering the bureau-speak (aka BS), translates to:

“Please stop all work while we determine whether or not you should accelerate the work”.

How’s that for cognitive dissonance?

So, here’s here’s your Change Leadership takeaway.

Take stock of your own decisions over the past week. Was there any accidental cognitive dissonance in your own decision making?

…and if there was, find a way to resolve that dissonance today.