Studying for a blood test…

I always thought this was my own original dumb joke – anyway good simple analogy from Joe Moore’s blog. I’ve audited sites where the the yellow paint on the handrails was still wet, a smart or experienced auditor can spot an obvious snow job!

See it here: Studying for a blood test

Studying for a blood test…

Let’s suppose you could study for a blood test. For the few weeks before the pathology appointment you cut down alcohol, give cheese a miss, eat a bucketful of broccoli instead of fries, maybe take the stairs rather than the elevator.

If you were to be successful at this you may be able to mask drug use, achieve “good, healthy” scores on measures of cholesterol, glucose… Following the test you resume your usual eating, drinking, drug and non-exercise routines – after all – you “passed” the blood test?

You may have created a situation for yourself where your body struggles with poor performance of some critical functions and you have managed to hide the symptoms, and as you studied for the test and scored a “good result”, you and no-one else pays any attention to your emerging health problems.

Sounds crazy! Who would do this – study for a blood test?

In some organisations the equivalent happens. Here are some candidates – the rush to score well on the upcoming quality assurance audit, health and safety audit, annual customer satisfaction survey, annual employee engagement survey?

Do you lead or work in an organisation where not much happens for 48 weeks and then there is a frenzy of activity in the few weeks before audits, checks, surveys about how we are doing with customers, safety, wellbeing, quality etc are conducted?

Studying for a blood test? Seriously? What is the point?

Any new connections emerging here for you?