Editor's Note: As we work to move forward from the pandemic and its impact on our workplaces, we all seek data in an effort to understand what others are doing, what trends are for compensation actions, plans and practices. This provides helpful context as we consider different future paths and the reward scenarios to support them. The economic impact of COVID-19, though, has been unequal, different across industries, different even within industries as some organizations fight for survival and others see new opportunities for growth and prosperity. With that, I bring you Chuck Csizmar's Classic advice about "best practice" and following the leaders.
"What does the survey say?"
This is a common question, and one that Human Resource practitioners hear all the time. Whatever the issue might be in the office, the boss usually comes around to ask, "what's everyone else doing?"
It could be regarding the value of your jobs, through competitive market pricing, or wondering about common practice benefit provisions or even how other organizations handle various HR policies. But the theme remains the same; the questioner wants to know about "common practice." What's everyone else doing?
Why do they ask that question? Because they want to do the same thing? Because they want to follow what everyone else is doing?
I guess we're all too accustomed to pushing that EASY button.
Why We Want To Know
There's a natural curiosity to discover what everyone else is doing when we face an issue that's important to our business. I get that. Maybe you don't need to reinvent the wheel, especially if others have already completed the work for you. So the thinking goes, let's grab the benefit of someone else's research and tag along , going with the flow. Common practice suggests the popular answer, and it's hard to offer criticism for doing what everyone else is doing.
It can also be considered a mistake if you don't know the common practice answer. Because how can you make a decision without knowing? Your analysis would be incomplete.
At the same time it's a natural defensive mechanism to point fingers at the "market" or a "most companies" comment and say, "see, others with the same challenges as we have are doing the following." The reporting of survey results doesn't require creative thinking, risk taking or even sticking your neck out by recommending an original thought. It's a silent recommendation that you can offer without comment.
Marching To The Beat Of A Different Drummer
But have you forgotten something important in the rush to follow along? Have you considered what may be the unique (or perhaps merely uncommon) circumstances within your organization, the nature of your own employees, your own situation? Are you a boiler plate organization with only the same challenges and circumstances as everyone else? Is the answer to your particular challenge(s) to be found simply by recommending what everyone else is doing? Wouldn't that tactic really become the absence of decision-making? The abrogation of responsibility? Passing the buck?
Is it your intent, or just happenstance that you decide to let someone else, someone from outside your organization make key decisions for you? And make no mistake, tagging along is a decision, in the sense that even non-judgments eventually turn into a course of action.
And if you're challenged to explain your actions? The lament of "I'm just doing what everyone else is ," doesn't sound like an effective rationale, does it? Probably isn't what senior management is expecting from you.
What Do You Think?
Following another's footsteps does seem to be the safe approach, though. It's likely the path of least criticism, at least in the short term. At least until that common practice answer that seems to works for everyone else ultimately doesn't work quite as well for you.
It's easy to deflect criticism of your recommendations by pointing to "common practice." You're not sticking your neck out, you're not advocating something different. You're reporting on the activities of other organizations, ones who seem to already know the answer.
So while it's always a useful strategy to know the common practice that covers your particular challenge, have a care to look outside the box as well. Sometimes that survey you relied on provided only anecdotal information, while a more viable solution lies in understanding your organization's particular dynamics; the culture, the politics, management biases, what had been tried before and whether what everyone else is doing makes common sense for you as well.
So whatever your recommended course of action might be, make sure that your rationale includes more thought than simply following the leader. That's a child's game, and may not be a career enhancing move for you.
Chuck Csizmar CCP is the founder and Principal of CMC Compensation Group, providing global compensation consulting services to a wide variety of industries and non-profit organizations. He is also associated with several HR Consulting firms as a contributing consultant. Chuck is a broad-based subject matter expert with a specialty in international and expatriate compensation. He lives in Central Florida (near The Mouse) and enjoys growing fruit and managing (?) a clowder of cats.
Creative Commons image, "Follow the Leader," by The Old Brit
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