In this spoken article, Francis Wade argues that many organizations lower performance by prioritising employee comfort over rigorous standards. He contrasts this with the high‑standard, shock‑based training of military boot camp, which quickly separates those who rise to the challenge from those who do not. Wade illustrates how low standards become entrenched at three pivotal moments in a new employee’s career: the first meeting (where tardiness and lax leadership set a sloppy tone), the first project (where unclear missions and absent management lead to disengagement), and the first promotion (where lack of feedback and superficial praise leave leaders directionless). He contends that the common thread in high‑performing groups—whether corporations, sports teams, NGOs, or Bible study groups—is a culture of accountability that creates deliberate “shocks” to maintain high standards. By deliberately crafting high‑standard events at key career junctures, organizations can weed out those who seek only comfort and retain those who push each other toward excellence. The piece ends with a call to action, inviting listeners to explore Wade’s blog for further insights on strategy, productivity, and business process improvement.
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Hello and welcome to the Chronicles from a Caribbean Cubicle podcast. This is Francis Wade, and here's an article I wrote for the Jamaica Gleaner. It's entitled "The Shock of Low Standards." There are a few moments in your employee's career when they go into shock. However, it's not because too much is demanded of them. In fact, it's the the very opposite. In prior columns, I shared what sometimes happens when a recent college graduate joins the full-time workforce. Coming from an education system with extreme demands and standards, they encounter a rude surprise. Individual efforts to excel are attacked by one's peers. At the same time, there are management rewards vague, dubious achievements. Unfortunately, most newcomers fall right into place, frittering away whatever fresh energy they once had. They become like everyone else. Comfort becomes the paramount goal. In fact, some firms set making employees comfortable as an all-important concern. Not surprisingly, this is very opposite of the way people relate to each other in high-performing organizations. For example, military boot camp is designed to expose raw recruits to an environment of impossibly high standards as quickly as possible. This immersion is intended to surprise them, to provide a shock. When it's done well, it isn't sadistic or destructive. The best rise up to meet the challenge while others are excluded. I'm sure at some point in history, a well-intended general experimented with a more comfortable path to Basic Military Training, only to see it rejected. Why? A battlefield is no place to discover that your colleagues are more interested in saving their skins than bravely following the mission. The truth is, society doesn't admire someone who, quote, "seeks my own comfort above all else," unquote. However, this is a low standard that many companies promote. During the onboarding stage. But that's not the only instance where the battle is lost. Here are 3 additional episodes in employees' careers which could be carefully crafted to show excellence. Number 1: Their first meeting. Sharon, a new employee, bustles into her first meeting to ensure she's not late. As she opens the door with moments to spare, there's no one else in the room. 5 minutes later, the second person arrives. The meeting eventually starts 15 minutes late with several missing, including the convener. The top executive, whose presence is required to make decisions, stumbles in even much later, still talking on his phone without apology. This everyday scenario teaches Sharon to surrender her college standard of arriving 10 minutes before others to sit in the front row. Instead, she's encouraged to join a sloppy, mediocre majority. Number 2: Their first project. After a few months on the project, Jerome is confused. He can't define the mission and the last 2 status meetings have been canceled. While he continues working on his deliverables, his manager has never asked for an update. With extra energy and bandwidth, he turns his efforts to a startup. A side hustle he has launched with friends. That feels more real for some reason, even though not a single penny has been earned. Number 3: Their first promotion. Fred was just promoted to the executive suite. While HR makes sure that all frontline employees have their annual performance reviews, their advice is ignored at this level. He discovers that the Managing Director has been too busy for several years to schedule feedback discussions. She seems happier giving out random public big-ups to low-level staff than having substantial confronting conversations with her direct reports. As such, he has no idea how to improve his performance. Consequently, when a headhunter calls, he jumps at the opportunity to move to a different organization which he hopes has higher standards. No excuses. Perhaps you're reading this article arguing that my company is not an army. True, but what would it be like to find and emulate the best-run organizations in your industry? Maybe you would discover a common thread in all high-performing service clubs, sports teams, NGOs, statutory bodies, corporations, and even Bible study groups. Consider that that there may be something in human nature that instinctively seeks comfort in relationship with others rather than accountability, and that it destroys performance. As such, your book club which skillfully causes or forces its members to read the assigned books is one that thrives where others fail. This core ingredient, accountability, is the secret sauce that wards off the drift towards mediocrity. And you fail to repeatedly burnish it brightly, the worst will always happen. The alternative is to craft high standards around key events which offer their own shock and surprise. While you'd definitely lose those who are committed to their personal comfort, those who remain have the opportunity to push each other to excellence. Thanks for listening. Do you have an unsolved problem in your Caribbean company related to strategy, productivity, engagement, or business process improvement? Just visit a searchable listing of all my prior articles and you may be able to help yourself to a fresh line of thinking. Go to blog.fwconsulting.com or see the show notes.
