Pornographic Management

I believe that language is a powerful force that shapes who we are, and in turn shapes our organizations. How we describe our mission and values, how we communicate inside and outside our organizations, and even the nature of our conversations all have profound influences on our business.

As an example, what does the phrase "performance review" conjure up for you? For most people, words like "aggravation" and "pointless tasks" come to mind. Yet, despite the label the intention of a review is to create a vehicle for helping people grow. So after years of bad experiences and bad press, even the best review process will forever be branded in a negative way as long as it's called a performance review.

With language in mind, imagine my reaction when I ran across the phrase "pornographic management" while doing some research. It jumped right off the page for me, and I immediately needed to learn more. In an article by Stephen Long, http://www.europeanbusinessreview.com/?p=1510, he characterizes it as leaders who live under a cloak of fear—fear of making mistakes, fear about what's next in the economy, fear for their very survival—and as a result they work in a cautious, emotionless way. Strategies are followed to the letter of the law, blame is shifted, and everything becomes a "shrug"—that's just the way it is around here. The world becomes objectified and as a result lacks a soul.

Two things came to mind as I thought about the concept. First, to label this type of leadership as "pornographic" felt harsh yet right to me. Organizations that function in this way—and I've experienced it firsthand—create environments that stifle all energy and talent, promoting inertia and hostility. They're positively obscene.

At the same time, though, Long was describing a prevalent way of operating in many businesses today. Fear for tomorrow and worry that the bottom will fall out of the market again is promoting behaviors by leadership that are wrapped in intense anxiety. These leaders may not be intending to, but they are enacting pornographic management in their effort to serve the bottom line.

People are starting to see this as "normal," or just the way it is. But it makes me wonder, if we start calling it what it is—pornographic—will it prompt leaders to search out new behaviors, or at least push aside the fear and begin a shift toward an optimistic future? And have you witnessed examples of pornographic management? Would love to hear your comments!

Jennifer