Nobody Needs to Get Hurt! (Part 2)

An earlier post discussed the bad idea that strikes us all from time to time.

Roughly summarized, the bad idea is: “I don’t need no stinking expert; I’ll do it myself!”

A while back we were working with a bank executive to design an internal survey for (1) measuring employee morale and (2) collecting on-the-ground insights on how to streamline their byzantine commercial lending process.

Let me be clear that this is an extremely smart and successful professional who has forgotten more about banking than most of us will ever know.

But after a few revisions of the survey, he decided to try his hand at “this question-writing stuff,” which, I submit to you, was a BAD IDEA on his part.

The result:

Do you have confidence that we have a timely and reliable process and the right people in the right roles in order to fully meet our client’s [sic] needs?

Oy!

If I answer “Strongly Agree,” am I indicating that:

• We have timely processes?
• We have reliable processes?
• We have the right people?
• We have the right people in the right roles?
• We can fully meet our clients’ needs (as opposed to partially meeting them)?
• Some of the above?
• All of the above?

[Research geeks will also note that the question asks the respondent if they “have confidence,” which deftly pairs clumsy conceptualization with ambiguous operationalization.]The boys after an expert redeemed my blunder.

Look, experts are experts for a reason. They have used their skills countless times, thought about them, revised them, talked to other experts about new ways to improve them even further, learned to fail, learned to succeed, etc.

Remember:

Luke Skywalker couldn’t lift that X-wing out of the swamp. But Yoda, the expert, certainly could.

So my client attempting to write his own question was every bit as ridiculous as me trying to cut my kids’ hair… and with equally bad results.

So please business professionals: I’ll put down the shears, you step away from the survey, and nobody needs to get hurt.

Deal? 

Nobody Needs to Get Hurt!

That’s me with my boys, Xavier and Isaiah.

If you look closely, you’ll note that we have somewhat different hair textures. Consequently, we have very different hair care needs.

So we take them to barbershops where there are experts who know exactly how to cut and edge their hair.

But the other night my wife and I had the BAD IDEA.

You’ve been there. You want to lower your expenses. You want to brag, “Look, I saved money and did it myself!”

And before you know it, you’re holding a pair of shears, hair clippings and slivers of ear and scalp playing in the breeze, wondering why your normally adorable children now look like scabies victims who just survived some sort of paramilitary attack. 

[After picture intentionally, mercifully omitted.]

Clearly, the BAD IDEA led us astray.

There’s a reason we pay the experts (i.e., the barbers), and there’s a reason why there are so many successful barbershops in town. It’s a valuable skill. You can’t just pick up a pair of shears and do this well.

But sometimes we all lose sight and want to think that we’re experts in some other area. And driven by a desire to either save money or show that we’re self-sufficient, we’ll attempt to do things that we really shouldn’t.  

Often, calamity ensues. Even Especially in the research world.

You want a real-world example? Stay tuned…