The Elephant in the Room

Your organisation, your business, your project seems to be going well except for something but you are not sure what. Something is going on, going wrong, unspoken, and there is growing undercurrent of gossip and quiet malaise. You are aware of this but no-one has been open about it.

You need to encourage openness. There are various techniques, mostly involving talking to people, but whatever you have asked, no-one says anything. What – or who – is the problem.

It might be a person who does not put the effort in, someone who upsets everyone, a customer or supplier who is always negative, or over-ambitious, or unrealistic in their demands.

Whatever it is, sooner or later it could critically affect your business and all the work you put into it. If you don’t identify the problem your work and ambition will come to nothing.

Perhaps an outsider with a separate independent view could help you to identify the real issue. Perhaps a couple of days of input could help. But whatever is holding you up you have to know.

What is the elephant in the room?