Poor Britney Spears. I hope she gets some professional help soon. But her recent mess has one big lesson for brand leaders everywhere and I hope you're paying attention.
My husband, a business attorney, and I were wondering where Britney's advisors were in her preparations for the VMAs. What is she paying these people for if not to tell her that more clothes would actually have been more flattering for her, and that she still needs some rehearsal time?
When I was in the corporate universe as a human resources manager and director one of the things I was expected to do was point out problems and suggest intelligent solutions to those problems. Trust me. The managers, directors, and C-level execs I talked to didn't want to hear negative information. They didn't want to hear that their latest big idea would have problems. But always bringing them potential solutions helped.
The danger comes for leaders and organizations who have created cultures where no one feels responsible for sharing bad news. And the responsibility for that falls squarely on the shoulders of the leadership.
Brand leaders may say they have an open door and want to hear all views, but what happens when someone believes them and shows up to tell them about a potential problem? In many companies that person is labeled as a "complainer" or is seen as "not a team player." Soon that person's career is permanently damaged, others see what happens when people point out negative information and think it's safer to keep their mouth shut.
As leaders rise in the organization it becomes scarier for employees below them in the hierarchy to bring bad news to them. No matter how hard the individual leader tries, she has to understand that people will feel the need to protect themselves. Real effort must be made to hear this negative information and people must see that they won't be punished for their honesty, especially if they come with options and solutions.
What's the climate like in your organization? Are you setting yourself and your brand up for a fall like Britney's?
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