Dereliction of Duty: The Dangerous Silence of Cannabis Staff

“Lyndon Johnson was a profoundly insecure man who feared dissent and craved reassurance” H.R. McMaster

If you don’t know General H.R. McMaster you need to.  He is an acclaimed American general, scholar (Stanford) and former National Security Advisor.  

McMaster is the author of Dereliction of Duty, a study of leadership and decision making in the Johnson Administration during the Vietnam War.  

As the title asserts, McMaster excoriates many civilian and military leaders for not speaking up and allowing the US to lapse into the Vietnam War quagmire. 

According to the General, Johnson was a flawed leader but was also ill-served by a faulty analytical and decision-making process that arose from a soup of bureaucratic (e.g., weak information flows), strategic (e.g., outdated constructs) and team (e.g., institutional rivalry) failings.  

In essence, a flawed President was making complex strategic decisions, cut off from dissenting opinions and ‘on the ground’ feedback. 

McMaster’s insights are germane to how cannabis firms are run as well as the responsibilities of staff vis a vis management. 

Fact is, many cannabis business failures can be blamed on similar dysfunctions, particularly in areas like production builds, product launches and hiring practices. 

Cannabis companies need more, not less, input from a variety of knowledgeable people especially when it comes to difficult, high-risk decisions. 

Staff, however, must think and act like true stakeholders, especially if they seek a greater share of profits - and have their opinions taken seriously.

This includes not shit posting on social media or behaving like ‘I told you so’ spoilers. 

Setting the tone right from the top is crucial.  The CEO should encourage and expect all workers to speak up any time, without the threat of censure.

For major issues, this engagement requires more than just an opinion.  Serious opinions should be buttressed with facts and delivered dispassionately focusing on metrics leaders care about such as risk, profit or ROI. 

However, we must be realistic - and patient.  Many employees will be reluctant to lean in, fearful for their jobs, insecure with their skills or lacking a suitable forum to speak up.  

Companies can do their part to promote broad engagement by:

1. Encouraging leaders to walk the production floor and proactively engage the rank and file;

2. Adding contrarians (internal or external) into planning and decision-making activities;

3. Including cross functional participation in major initiatives;

4. Canvassing the input of customers and suppliers though direct outreach and advisory panels.

#leadership #management #decisionmaking #bureaucracy #employeeengagement