Matt Hazard

You’ve heard it before. The same sentence that derails your ideas, denies your requests, and shuts down your inquiries in the work place.

“They wouldn’t want us doing that.”

Most people will accept this and don’t probe any further. I used to be one of those people, but age and impatience have gotten the better of me. So, who exactly are they? I have a theory;

They don’t exist..

“Hey, this old safety gear is getting kind of worn out. We should probably order a new set. Could we get an order placed this month?”

“No, they wouldn’t like the idea of any extra spending right now.” Really? For safety?

“Hey boss, I have an idea that might be a better strategy to take on our monthly workload. Are we ok to make a small change to our normal procedure?”

“No, I don’t think they’d approve of that.”

This is nothing more than human nature at its finest. Most of us have an underlying fear of receiving disapproval for making a decision that may go against the people above our pay grade; against them.

I’ve seen middle management act this way. Hell, I’ve been in meetings where upper management speaks this way. I was truly blown away when I heard this kind of talk at the director level. How far up the chain does this fear really go?

It seems no matter how far you trace up the corporate ladder, individuals are always afraid somebody higher up than them could disapprove of whatever decision they’re faced to deal with. They are always watching.

So, are we doomed to be perpetually denied requests at the fears of middle management? Are our voices lost to the uncertainty of a fictitious CEO level shadow group overseeing the modest changes in the workplace? Is there an underlying trepidation that resides in upper management across all large corporations?

…Or should I get over the fact that I was denied my request to have corporate-sponsored pizza lunches on the last Friday of every month?

You be the judge.