Pork Chops, IT Reports, and Red Pens—Challenging the Status Quo

My mother was a great cook, except for one item—pork chops. She grew up in an era when improperly prepared pork could have serious health consequences. As a result, she cooked the chops until they were the texture of shoe leather. In what I assume is an old German tradition, she baked them in milk, leaving the shoe leather with an unappetizing white film. When I asked her why she used this cooking method, she said it was how they were cooked when she was growing up—it was always done that way.

One of my former employers hired a new IT leader. One of his first activities involved sending out a list of 200 reports that the IT team produced monthly and asking users to identify those they needed and used regularly. Company-wide results showed that only about 20 reports were used or created value. What was the response to the question of why they continued to run 200 reports? “It’s what we have always done. No one told us to stop!”

Then there was the company whose founder outlawed the use of red pens. No one knows why, but the rule lives on in perpetuity. No red pens are to be found in that office!

Every company has accepted the status quo in some way, shape, or form, without question. However, failing to do so can have potentially far-reaching consequences for an organization. As demonstrated at my former employer, 90% of the reports issued by the IT team each month were not used, creating inefficiencies and added costs. This failure to challenge can also create missed opportunities, complacency, stagnation, a lack of innovation, and decreased ability to adapt and respond to rapidly changing situations and environments.

Have you questioned your processes, practices, rules, and policies to ensure they serve your current business and operational model? Is there a valid business reason for each, or are you, as an organization, clinging to the status quo? Ask why—why is something done in that manner? How long has it been done that way? If the answer is “because it’s the way we’ve always done it,” it is time for a review to determine if it needs to be modified or thrown out completely.

It can be done! My mother learned to make a delicious pork chop—moist, tasty, and visually appealing. The IT department became far more efficient after jettisoning those 180 monthly reports, creating time and space for new projects. I’m not sure about the red pens!

Create a culture that encourages respectful inquiry and questioning as a starting point. Involve those who challenge the status quo in making recommendations and implementing the changes. Embrace opportunities!