On Elephants
“When there’s an elephant in the room, introduce him.” ~ Randy Pausch
There’s an old saying, “There’s only one way to eat an elephant—one bite at a time.”
And there’s the euphemistic phrase about “the elephant in the room” meaning there is an obvious problem or difficult situation that people do not want to talk about.
When you have dysfunction on teams, look to the leadership. Whether it be a parent, teacher or boss—you must marry the two euphemisms: Name the elephant, and don’t expect to eat the whole thing in one sitting.
They say elephants have a long memory. They’re also herd animals, loyal and brave.
In this world of CYA, of obfuscation, miss-speak and spin, in a world of half-truths and fake news, it’s important to speak up when there is an elephant in the room. For the sake of the herd.
Speaking up with courage, compassion and candor is the place to begin.
Because change is accomplished one bite at a time.