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All that being said, I decided to examine the practice of promoting ideology versus suffering with the status quo. Keep in mind that I have lots of education and training in organizational psychology and total quality management, so if I start getting too technical, it's the passion for the subject, not me trying to lord my knowledge or myself over everyone who reads my dribble.
One of the biggest fallacies in the general population is that those folks who make decision don't care about public opinion. Think about this axiom for second. If that was actually the case, would we be among the world's leaders in innovation and business, or would we be a third-world nation destined to remain mundane and status quo? Some of the biggest innovations and inventions have been created in America's garages and basements.
Among inventions and innovations emanating from American garages, basements, and tool sheds are: bifocals, the cotton gin, the sewing machine, the phonograph, the zipper, air conditioners, the airplane, the windproof lighter (Zippo), the windshield wiper, liquid fueled rockets, sunglasses, radio astronomy, photocopier, the gas chamber, cell phones, the laser, the electric chair, the artificial heart, fiber optics, WD-40, and the personal computer. So, where would we be without these and more? Would we all be living like the Amish?
So, what would it be like if some of these ideas had been nixed, or the inventors had listened to others telling them they were living a pipe dream? Well, if we could, we might ask the seniors executives at Warner Brothers, who originally rejected producing movies with sound (talkies) in 1927. Thankfully, they go on board later on, so they could remain in business. And, although all of these companies eventually went on to other glories, IBM, GM, and DuPont originally turned down photocopying technology in 1938.
Oh, and then there is Decca records, which refused to sign the Beatles to a recording contract in 1962. In 1975 Sony decided not to license its Betamax technology, which allowed Matsushita to dominate the home video market with VHS. And lets not forget all those companies that we grew up with which are now defunct: Woolworth's, Rexall, Revco, Big A Autoparts, Montgomery Wards, Service Merchandise, Bugle Boy clothes, Kinney shoes, Thom McAnn, Brooks Pharmacy, Eckerd's, Computer City, Crazy Eddie, McDuff's, The Wiz, TG&Y, Two Guys, Value Mart, Woolco, Heilig Meyers, Levitz, Seamans, Pantry Pride, and Builder's Square.
Now, let's examine the perception that just because NASCAR is a huge conglomerate and that they have been around for so long, that they most assuredly, must know what they're doing. Organizational cultures have been responsible for some of the worst decisions in business history. When cultures clash, organizations suffer. Consider AOL-Time Warner; when the conservative Time Warner execs realized how much money the freewheeling execs from AOL were spending, it didn't take long to drop the "AOL" part of the name.
And, Chrysler execs were none too happy when they were forced to arrive at corporate meeting by mini-van, while Daimler execs showed up in Mercedes sedans and flew first class. Sometimes it works in reverse, too, as RJ Reynolds execs found out when their hardworking values clashed with those of Nabisco execs. A bitter feud resulted in the former Nabisco boss firing the RJR execs. Group-think can drive organizations to making decisions that look good on paper, until the actual dynamics of the organizations come into focus.
Enron, Tyco, Adelphia, and NASA are all examples of group think resulting in poor decisions made at the upper echelons of management. Enron put many of its employees in the poorhouse, Tyco and Adelphia execs are in jail, and NASA lost two space shuttles and their crews. When organizations have one or two very influential people guiding the rest of the organization, its very easy to lose whole corporations as they tend to surround themselves with like-minded individuals.
The experience can be likened to a flight demonstration team following their leader into the ground. Once the organization gets momentum, it's hard for any one individual to slow it down or stop it. That's why its good to have a steering committee or an advisory board to help drive important decisions regarding the rest of the organization.
Hopefully, this post has been beneficial in explaining why its so important to keep an open mind when others float ideas for improvement. Yes, there might be a lot of griping and consternation about the state of affairs of an organization, but when people reflect intuitively and offer up lucid and logical answers, it is imperative that people look, read, and listen with an open mind. As you can see, some notable corporations and organizations are no longer in existence because culture and group think drove them into oblivion.
NASCAR is an organization, and at one time a very good one. In some respects, it still is...but, many think that group think has pervaded NASCAR's cadre of decision makers and that is driving some poor decisions. Sometimes, the greatest ideas come from an outsider looking in; it wouldn't hurt for NASCAR execs to reflect on some of those ideas from outsiders as a way to improve the current state of affairs.