Every system, every bureaucracy and every organization creates boundaries.
Sooner or later, we say, “I’d love to fix this, but I’m not in charge of that.”
Perhaps, though, we’ve been conditioned to say this even when it’s not true. Because being in charge means being responsible, and we may have learned that being on the hook is uncomfortable.
And so, sooner or later, no one is in charge.
ADP does payroll for millions of people. Pretty much all they do is create forms and have people fill them out. The forms they use are from 1991. They’re digitally unfriendly and poorly designed. Someone, somewhere at ADP is probably in charge of this. But they’re still the way they are. Because it’s challenging to call enough meetings and take enough apparent risk to actually fix them.
My bank uses a lot of security theatre in the way they engage with people online. Needless hoops, or obvious holes in their systems. Again, my guess is that someone is probably in charge here, but they’re not acting as if they are.
But it’s not just giant organizations. It’s the little pocket park down the street from you that no one takes the time to clean, or the missing stop sign that no one agitated to have replaced…
The good news is that we have the option to be responsible for far more than we imagine.
PS in honor of Groundhog’s Day, two new secret recipes for your traditional feast.
