Name bombing: the not cool way of getting things done

Today someone introduced the term “name bombing” to my vernacular.

I’d never heard it before and I’m not even sure if it’s widely acknowledged. Either way, it’s a good name when you learn its meaning.

In a similar vane as name dropping, name bombing is when someone’s name is used as a catalyst for getting something done faster.

For example, in an email or meeting we might say “so-and-so has asked for this by the end of the day” or “I’m doing work for you-know-who so really need everyone to pitch in”.

Without even thinking about it, I know I’m guilty of this. Many of us probably are.

Particularly in large organisations, the weight of senior management lights a fire, so to speak. As such, name bombing is rife because suddenly it’s a currency for getting things done.

But, in a glaringly obvious way, it’s such a toxic habit to get into. It buys into a culture of fear which has the long term effects of people feeling they’re pawns with little scope to grow, take ownership and have autonomy.

Luckily, the fix is pretty easy. We just have to stop doing it.

If, without name bombs, requests and work still doesn’t get done, then that’s a separate issue. But at least we know what playing field we’re on and that the fix probably lies by first examining management techniques, workload and reassessing the areas we directly control.