Masters of Distraction

It is an art form.  Not a high form of art; instead it is the ability to seemingly release ones' self from accountability by. . .

Pointing over there!   "Look, look, look. . . ." let's talk about that, not about the subject at hand.

Or the sly twist of the subject, that takes one item out of the context and attempts to start a new, and often derogatory, dialogue.

Or just ignoring the question at hand and instead bringing up something unrelated that seemingly will cast the person on the spot in a better light.

In a business climate, in the political world, in the best sense of relationships, this is egregious.    It is blatantly the inability to accept accountability by diverting attention away from what is important; that which truly requires investigation.

And often we are guilty of letting the perpetrators get away with it.   Maybe they are amusing.   Maybe they have a certain charisma or charm.  And while we may be anxious to resolve the question at hand, we passively endorse their actions by letting them divert us away from what which truly needs attention.

And we then become accessories to the act of distraction;  we then shoulder the responsibility for the failure to hold people accountable for their behavior.

I have seen many good people fall prey to this;  consequently, strong institutions become weaker.   If there is not accountability, ultimately there is not honest action to fix problems and move the enterprise forward.

The antidote.  We must be thoughtful.  We must be multi-dimensional in our  process.    And we must rigorously and consistently bring people back to the subject at hand and hold them accountable.

It is fair and it is honest.   It is also great business.

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My book "Courageous Questions, Confident Leaders" is available on Amazon Kindle.