Worse than Statistics

Mark Twain said there are three kinds of lies: Lies, Damned Lies and Statistics. We’ll add to the list a fourth and more damaging category: the lies we tell ourselves.

Some of the lies we tell ourselves are harmless, of course. What difference does it make if I tell myself I still have the stamina that I did at 20? (Technically, this is true, because I was really out of shape at 20.) And who is harmed if I tell myself that these pants don’t make my butt look big?

Other self-deceptions cause great harm, though, simply because they create a smoke screen where clarity is needed, fostering inertia where action is required. In business, we frequently explain away issues or misinterpret opportunities at great expense to ourselves and our employees. Here are a few of the lies I’ve encountered in conversations with business associates:

• All the customer cares about is price.
• Our team is totally aligned around our strategic plan.
• Customers recognize and sign on to our value statement.
• Our technology is two years ahead of our competition.
• Customers know they’ll pay much less when they use us versus the other guys.
• We can’t afford to invest in new initiatives until revenue increases.

There’s not enough room on the internet to describe all the ways that these statements can fall short on the Truth-o-Meter. Suffice it to say that each assertion above can lead to unnecessary failure in business, especially the failure to act.

Worse, I can’t help but suspect that some of my friends (other friends, not you) are using these self-deceptions as an excuse to avoid unpleasant decisions. In some cases, it seems, the simple assertion of a pseudo-fact is license to avoid introspection, avoid new decisions and avoid rocking the boat. If I already know what’s true, I don’t need to investigate, study or reconsider any of my assumptions.

What assertions have become a mantra in your organization? Which ones are questionable? Which ones are delaying necessary introspection or change? Which ones are placing your company at risk?

From up here in the blogosphere, I can’t figure out which is which. Down where you work every day, you probably have a strong idea where somebody is blowing smoke. That’s doubly likely if the person blowing smoke is you.