Leadership is about asking the right questions

Blair McPherson

Institutional cheating, how does it happen?

"Make sure our cars pass the emissions test" and they did and no one at the top asked how.
"We don't know how you're doing it but keep it up ". Senior managers at the bank didn't enquirer too deeply into the financial methods as long as the result was they got their bonuses. (HSBC)
"The staffing budget must be brought under control" and it was. (Mid Staffordshire NHS trust )

"The performance figures needed to improve " and they did! ( an SSD I use to work for)

A culture of cheating ,how do you stop it?

The question following VW ,HSBC , Mid Staffordshire and other scandals is not does cheating go on but how to spot it and how to stop it? You can't rely on inspections, organisation's put a lot of effort into fooling the inspectors/ "showing the organisation in the best possible light". You can't rely on whistle blowers especially if the cheating is condoned by managers. You can expect the chief executive and the board to ask the right questions.

How are you managing to get a return on funds so much higher than every one else?

What impact on care has resulted from cutting back on the staffing budget?

How did you improve these performance figures?

How did you get the cars to pass the test?

Blair McPherson author and blogger www.blairmcpherson.co.ukculture of ch

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