First Assistant
May 12, 2024
It’s useful to think of yourself as “first assistant to” your direct reports. You want people at every level to understand the organization’s goals and
Bad News is Good News
Porpoising
I call my bad news early detection system “porpoising.” Think about a porpoise, repeatedly diving deep into the ocean and then rising to the surface; gathering information at all levels. As a manager, you should periodically “porpoise” beyond your direct reports to talk to diverse groups of people at every level in your nonprofit.
Porpoising is designed to unearth valuable information, whether in the short term or for the long haul. Porpoising expresses a culture of observant listening — and enables you to “hear” sounds of trouble before you learn about it through official channels.
Appreciating the value of bad news
The message on the right can be deceptively simple. At first it appears counter-intuitive. But you’ll soon learn to recognize that good news is not as useful as you might think; no news can be a sign of problems; and bad news affords an opportunity for change.
Good news is no news. No news is bad news. And bad news is good news — if you do something about it.
Conversation Starter
Bad News Is Good News
A complete set of conversation starters to accompany the chapter.
Toolkit
Bad News Is Good News Toolkit
A complete set of tools to accompany the chapter.
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02
Respecting and trusting your people is the foundation of all good management.
03
Always listen for and even seek out signs of trouble. Bad news is good news if you do something about it.
04
Develop “court sense” to see everything that’s happening around you, and to rapidly adjust to changes.
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08
To create a culture of accountability, reinforce individual ownership of problems. Always ask, “Who owns the monkey?”