The Ostrich is the biggest bird, large and intimidating . Its long legs can make it gallop at high speeds and when angry it can be a handful to face. Reason enough not to get in the way of an Ostrich. However the Ostrich is a lovely bird, and one need not beware of the Ostrich, except of the Ostrich Effect. The post today is about the Ostrich Effect and how detrimental it can be to an individual, to a group and eventually to an Organisation and how critical it is to stay away from it.
The Truth of the Myth
The myth goes that on the sight of or sensing imminent danger, Ostriches have a tendency to bury their head in the sand probably thinking that the danger would be averted. This myth is referred to as The Ostrich Effect. This is a sort of comprehensible bias which can affect individuals when they turn a blind eye to bad news rather than facing the unpleasant situation. They begin to reason, though incorrectly that not facing the difficult situation might shun it away and tend to seek information which holds their view all the time. This can spread to a group too and if not curtailed can turn into a dangerous culture.
The Ostrich Effect Plaguing Organisations
There are several instances observed in Organisations where Leaders tend to not listen to anything which they do not want to hear. They even become temperamental on hearing negative information which actually would be scripting the right picture, and in doing so they not only discourage the messenger ( subordinates or line managers or field operatives ), but also leave the problem unattended. The subordinates too then begin to paint rosy pictures to avoid admonishment and slowly this culture begins to spread and engulfs the entire organisation. A classic case is the erstwhile mobile phone giant Nokia, which ran into rough weather from a position of great strength.
The Nokia Example
Riding high on its massive success Nokia did not see the competition brewing up in the sector, or rather decided to look the other way. The cell phone industry was completely dominated by one player, however the advent of the iPhone with iOS operating system and Samsung with the Android simply changed the face of the Industry. It was a major disruption. It is believed that the decision makers or leaders at important levels at Nokia turned a deaf ear to market feedback and market intelligence and in someway discouraged it. They were not prepared to accept that their fiefdom was under threat . This attitude trickled down too. A new operating system which was required to be built up for the future to face competition was not attempted as it would have taken time. Short term measures took precedence over long term planning and eventually the company suffered.
The competition was too hot to handle. The iPhone and the Android based phones turned out to be far superior, handy with several attractive features making life and work both productive. Nokia did not have an answer and the sales plummeted. Their fiefdom taken away for good. The staff who mattered at Nokia were unfortunately consumed by the Ostrich Effect and the company paid a heavy price for it.
Steps to Keep The Ostrich Effect at Bay
How can we keep away from the Ostrich Effect is of critical importance. The following steps can surely help avoid the same.
1. The employees at whatever level need to have a ‘ voice ‘ in their organisation. Freedom to express their views, free flow of information, encouraging and accepting contradictions go a long way in keeping the Ostrich Effect at bay.
2. A culture which facilitates innovation and creativity and constantly strives to improve is a must. Such a culture inhibits inertia and prepares the company to be competition ready all the time.
3. A clear vision for the company is extremely important.
4. Servant Leaders are always better options than the tough, inapproachable, unilateral decision makers.
These steps can bring about a cultural change and lead to a more cohesive, cooperative, visionary and a competition ready organisation bereft of the Ostrich Effect.
Beware of the Ostriches, not in the Jungle but at the Workplace. They may be big and large …but Ostriches don’t Fly.
Thanks for a reminder which is very well needed in this insta influencer era where people keep advocating that ignorance is bliss and don’t face the situation . In order to sustain success , one has to be open to surroundings, views and concerns expressed by others and avoid Ostrich effect . Very well explained 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼
Thank you Sumanpreet . U hv analysed it very well
Yes the ‘ Ostrich Effect ‘is symbolised by the large bird deliberately preferring self -delusion and complacency to confronting or combating the danger it faces from a threatening adversary. The same psyche or mindset is exhibited by some well-established business houses who prefer to ignore and take lightly new entrants or innovative ideas in their line of business.This enables other predators to cash in and take advantage. The Ostrich Effects thus comes into play and changes the level playing field.
Another interesting and useful post from Riz Khan !
Can’t agree more. Thank you for a spot on and precise analysis .