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Honest Communication is Hard
Steve Adubato, Ph.D.
After September 11 you would have thought that the federal agencies
involved in anti-terrorism efforts would have joined together and
started communicating like they were on the same team. But old habits
die hard, and whether it's the Federal Government trying to bring
agencies together or a corporation trying to get competing departments
to stop feuding - achieving honest communication is hard. Some of
the barriers to real communication within and between organizations
involve such things as; bad history, unhealthy competition, fear,
distrust and just plain laziness.
While there's a lot of talk about anti-terrorism, there is also
a long tradition of organizations like the FBI, CIA, FAA, and INS
hoarding information and building barriers. They communicate with
each other, but often not by choice and not in a timely and collegial
fashion. The creation of a new super-organization in no way guarantees
that the players involved in anti-terrorism efforts will all of
a sudden start communicating and stop protecting their turf. This
is not a commentary about terrorism or even the Federal Government,
but rather, it's about how insulated we can all become in our own
organizations and how this effects our communication with others.
You see, when you're really on the same team, you're not afraid
to share crucial information and communicate openly. Well, the FBI
had lots of valuable information in their field offices in Phoenix,
Minneapolis and Oklahoma regarding possible warning signs before
September 11. However, that information never found its way into
the hands of key decision makers at the Bureau. Further, that information
wasn't shared with the CIA and other federal agencies dealing with
terrorism. Fact is, even when there is a clear goal like fighting
terrorism, it doesn't guarantee that those involved will communicate
in a collegial fashion. According to a congressional investigator,
there is a "longstanding historical problem" at the FBI
in which "special agents in charge of field offices are like
princes with their own little princedoms and the director is like
the king who doesn't necessarily have the power to reign them in."
Whether you're a king, a CEO, the head of the FBI or the President,
you can't force people to communicate and act as if they're really
on the same team. Productive, honest communication only comes when
the individuals involved believe that their collective destiny is
tied to other team members. That's not what's happening in Washington
now. Those involved in the anti-terrorism effort aren't convinced
that they really need each other. They are not convinced that they
will be rewarded for sharing and penalized if they don't. Unless
they are convinced, they won't share and they won't really communicate.
They will continue to protect their turf as well as their hides.
They will only share information when forced to and communication
will continue to be guarded and less than candid. No super-agency,
no matter how big and no matter who wants it, is going to change
that. None of this can be good, especially when the stakes are so
high for all of us.
Consider this question…How open is your communication with
your professional colleagues? Do you share valuable information
or do you sometimes hold back? If so, write and tell me why.
Dr. Steve Adubato is the author of the book "Speak from the
Heart" and coaches and speaks on the subjects of communication
and leadership. Write to him at The Star-Ledger, 1 Star Ledger Plaza,
Newark, NJ 07102, visit his Web site at www.stand-deliver.com, or
e-mail him at sadubato@aol.com.
Dr. Steve Adubato coaches and speaks on the subjects of communication
and leadership and is the author of the book "Speak from the
Heart." Write to him at The Star-Ledger, 1 Star-Ledger Plaza,
Newark, NJ 07102, visit his Web site at www.stand-deliver.com,
or e-mail him at sadubato@aol.com.
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