The antipattern of Sandcastle Planning
How to waste 100% of people's time with a 100% probability
Picture this: You are at the beach and propose to a group of people to build a sandcastle. But once they are done, you just walk through it, stating that this was not what you had in mind, and they should do better. The people will be really annoyed by you. It is unlikely they will start building another sandcastle, and even if, they will not put in their best effort as there is always the risk that you will destroy all of their work with one move. To end the scene, you tell another person how disappointed you are that this team of people gets nothing done without you and shows no initiative.
Does this sound crazy? Well, at work I have seen similar things! I remember planning sessions where the team gave its best to come up with a realistic plan for the next two weeks, only to see it overriden immediately afterwards by the line manager claiming to have "an important priority". Or meetings that were supposed to serve for collaborative decision making where at least one of the participants withheld important information and preferred working alone and presenting results later as a surprise to the others. In both cases, effectively everyone's time was wasted.
This behavior can destroy teams and prevent communities of practice to get anything useful done. I have come to hate this to the same degree as Management by Mikado.
What to do about it? The best option is to call out the unfruitful behavior in the first place. Maybe not in front of everyone but face to face. If that does not help, involve the others. As a last resort, stop participating in meetings where this happens, stating your reason for choosing to be absent. Never let someone waste your time and crush your spirits. There is always an alternative!
Belinda Carlisle: Circle In The Sand