The harm of rushing in to fix things
Many of us, especially those who are “professionally” successful, have been trained to be perfectionists, over-achievers, and fixers.
If there is a problem, our immediate reaction is to ask - how do we fix this?
We see this all the time when we do DEI and culture work with organizations. At the end of our initial discovery phase we present our findings, and the desire to react with solutions, actions, next steps, and a resolution is so deeply engrained, it creates a palpable kind of fix-it itchiness in the room.
Often this is driven by fear - the fear that anything less than “perfect” is a reflection on our value and worth, and that we are only worth something if we can fix it.
And yet rushing in to fix things upholds traditional and oppressive power structures because it assumes that we have the answers.
It assumes we know how to fix things.
And what that does is perpetuates paternalism (assuming we know better than others what is best for them), white saviorism, and moral superiority. Rushing to fix things doesn’t leave space for getting input and feedback from others and, despite the best of intentions, it can land as patronizing, opaque and exclusionary.
Ironically, the obsession with fixing things, stemming from a fear of leaving an issue unsolved or unaddressed, often results in a kind of paralysis that leads to exactly that.
So, whether it’s a rushed solution or chronic inaction, more harm is created for those who were most impacted by the issues in the first place.
When we present findings, we have found we have to do a lot of scaffolding around not rushing to fix things.
Not rushing to fix things doesn’t mean sitting around and doing nothing.
Rather, we’ve found it much more effective to consider a bunch of next steps that need to happen first, once you realize there is a problem, issue, unresolved harm or unmet need:
Acknowledgement and truth-telling - it’s easy to give in to the instinct to rush over this part in our discomfort. However, we cannot change what we cannot name, nor can we build trust if there is an unwillingness to name what is going on. Say the thing. (Not saying it doesn’t make it any easier to fix. Pretending it doesn’t exist and hoping you can quietly go about fixing it before people realize it is NOT a good strategy.)
Gather feedback and input - feedback may be painful but it is critical for equity and inclusion. It may be that you’ve already gathered feedback from across the organization or from all those who are impacted, but if you haven’t, this data gathering is an important step in the process.
Create an inclusive process for brainstorming, imagining, consensus building and decision making - this means understanding that you will make better decisions if you have the feedback, input and involvement from those who are impacted by those decisions. This doesn’t necessarily mean that you hand decision making over, it means you are making informed decisions and co-creating a path forward. I also don’t like to overly focus on “solutions” because this frames everything up as a “problem” which is not always helpful.
Share transparently at every step of the way - leaders often feel they can’t share “solutions” until the “problem” is solved, which is another outcome of fear driven by perfectionism. It’s an understandable and human reaction, especially given our socialization, but it’s another area where good intentions can end up causing more harm. An update, even if only to say there is no update, at least lets staff know you are thinking about it and that it is still on your radar. Transparency also brings staff into part of the co-creative process and allows for community accountability rather than making it just a “leadership” problem or the problem of one particular person, team or department. Yes there are individual responsibilities, but when it comes to DEI and culture work, rarely will a siloed approach that makes “fixing it” anything other than a collaborative community responsibility be effective. This doesn’t mean that everyone in the organization is equally involved, but that transparency offers the opportunity for different levels of involvement as appropriate given differing interests and responsibilities.
Rushing to fix things doesn’t allow the time and space for a thoughtful, strategic, inclusive and co-creative process. Framing things as problems that can be fixed and checked off on a list doesn’t work for culture change either. Instead, consider how to shift culture towards equity and inclusion in a transparent and collaborative process of ongoing iteration. Ideas can be tested, mistakes can create invaluable lessons for moving forward. Progress rather than resolution can be measured.
So, next time you find yourself itching to rush to a solution that will fix something, see if you can shift your focus to creating a process that will drive change.
PS Yes, it’s Juneteenth, about which many Black folks have mixed feelings now that this holiday has been appropriated and colonized by corporate. Read last year’s post on Juneteenth and the racism of white confusion and denial and Malaika’s post from the year before on #Juneteenth. It’s also Father’s Day, a day that can create mixed feelings for some, joy and celebration for others. However you are marking today, I hope you can find moments of peace, connection and self-worth.
Banner photo by Louis Hansel on Unsplash
Self-coaching for DEI Advocates and Leaders
Join me for a free weekly email series and check-in on co-creating real and lasting shifts towards diversity, equity, inclusion and antiracism at your company or organization. Sign up here.