Saboteurs

Damage and destruction occur at the hand of saboteurs.  Sometimes that harmful work is done quite intentionally.  Other times, however, it is the product of the unwitting.

Tools of Willful Sabotage (via the ill-intentioned)

• Insistence on adherence to the rules/processes - slavery to the letter of the law
• Pervasive use of committees
• Talking "it" to death
• Introducing distractors - taking focus off the vision
• Incessant word smithing
• Constant rehashing of past decisions
• Being stuck on the starting line - reluctance to say "GO!"
• Aversion to ownership
• Continual permission seeking

Tools of Unwitting Sabotage (via the well-intentioned)

• Insistence on adherence to the rules/processes - slavery to the letter of the law
• Pervasive use of committees
• Talking "it" to death
• Introducing distractors - taking focus off the vision
• Incessant word smithing
• Constant rehashing of past decisions
• Being stuck on the starting line - reluctance to say "GO!"
• Aversion to ownership
• Continual permission seeking

There are some rather obvious similarities, no?  Regardless of the motivations, sabotage is sabotage.  And saboteurs are saboteurs, irrespective of intentions.

Constantly reflecting on what we're doing, why we're doing it, and how we might do it better can help us avoid the sabotage trap (both of the ill- and the well-intentioned varieties).  

It's the only way to improve, continuously.