Ever make a suggestion and encounter only negative responses?  Ever caught yourself responding to the ideas of others (or even to your own ideas) with the same “impossibility” thinking? 

      Whether from weariness, fear, or the lure of complacency, we’re all sometimes guilty of not taking initiative when it’s appropriate to do so.  Here are the five negative fantasies or myths we use to try to justify inaction, along with suggestions for out-thinking and overcoming each.

      Nothing is wrong: Preferring not to look under the covers, this one is usually heard when some form of assessment is suggested. If measuring customer satisfaction is suggested, the response is: “But our customers must be happy because they aren’t complaining,” if an employee survey is suggested, the response is  “But our employees must be happy because turnover is low.”  In response to suggestions that 360-degree leadership assessments be done, you’ll hear: “But our quality of management must be good because what needs to get done is getting done” or “We must be doing well because profits are up, dividends are being paid, etc.”  The fundamental premise here is that there is no apparent reason to assess, so why assess?

            To discredit this myth, begin with the observation that absence of evidence isn’t evidence of absence. We can’t manage what we don’t know, and no one is in a position of omnipotence.  Just like preventive medicine costs less than medical treatment, it is better to be proactive than reactive.  We must ferret out risk; identify vulnerabilities while they can still be...

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