There are shortcuts and there are shortcuts. Everyone knows at least one. Actions, that if taken and used effectively, will get one to the desired outcome by jumping the queue. They show up in the obvious and on the edges of every step.
Sometimes it is as simple as the metaphoric driving through an intersection on a yellow light you know intuitively will be red before you are through. Cutting corners on the analysis and due diligence work, stating opinions as conclusions, and expressing an opinion that will clear out the opposition. The odds of getting caught are low and even if you do, it can be explained.
On other occasions, I read a recommendation and wonder at how the team was able to get to the outcome. In one particular case, the more I examined the supporting evidence and looked into the background work, the more I realized that I was reading wonderfully written fiction. The story was good, the proposals logical and thoughtful. The missing element was truth. Little was factually grounded.
A common response is that the outcomes matter! A report and recommendation needs to be delivered on time, so who needs to worry about the motivation or events that helped get one from A to B. The cause is a noble one, so why look into the details underlying the process?
There are many reasons to take a stand against shortcuts. I have been reminded again of the most basic. For the individuals involved, each shortcut taken is a message to one’s heart about the importance of truth, honesty, and intent. In what we do, we tell ourselves and others about our values, priorities, and soul. We lift up or pull ourselves down. Nobody outside the group may know, but we do.
I have not always made the best choices. Looking forward, I love the psalmist stance; “I refuse to take a second look at corrupting people and degrading things. I reject made-in-Canaan gods, stay clear of contamination.” (Psalm 101.3) It is the start of the path I always want to take.
