Sadly, most organizations whose passionate people become quiet will confuse that for the troublemakers finally “getting in line”

They’re not in line. They’re prepping to jump ship. (I’ll gladly help them).

You’ll slightly regret you let them slip away, but not look back. After all staff meeting runs so much smoother now without their incessant probing questions about why, exactly, decisions were made and what data was actually collected to prove this and how the customer is going to feel when this impacts them…

There won’t be a big cinematic wind up scene where they come crashing through your door one day triumphantly shouting “hey, punk, remember me?!”

But every person that asks if working for you was good or not will get their truthful warning about you.

And, one-by-one, each customer they talk to that likes their new company a little more than yours will silently move their business away from yours.

You’ll never know any of this is happening because you’ll never meet the recruiting candidates who refuse to interview (because they’ve heard how you stifle critical thinking and creativity) and you’ll never get back the customers you lose (because you only care about their money).

Deafening silence, eh?