This week’s module on the ethical grey areas of marketing communications got me thinking about the workplace culture of the “Yes Men.” My fellow classmates shared several examples of marketing campaigns that tread in the ethical grey area of advertising and marketing, and some campaigns were flat out unethical. From the United Colors of Benetton’s “Unhate” campaign, to Bud Light’s “Up for Whatever” campaign, to Kendall Jenner’s Pepsi commercial, I couldn’t help but to question a common theme with these marketing ads. Given that these were ad campaigns for major brands, with big budgets, and multiple staff and agencies working on the project, how did these ads pass through the various checks and balances along the way? Was there not one single person working on these ads that questioned the ethics of the campaign?
Which brings me to issue of the yes men culture.
For some leaders, they might not even realize that they created an inner circle of yes men in the workplace. One factor that contributes to a culture of yes men is when decision makers surround themselves with ‘like-minded’ people. Effective leadership is compromised by surrounding oneself with yes men who fear expressing dissent. As a consequence, the organization will eventually fall short of its collective intelligence, collective creativity and collective ability to innovate (Allen, 2018).
Noreena Hertz (2013) writes in the Harvard Business Review that every CEO needs a “Challenger in Chief,” or someone who voices dissent. “When group members are actively encouraged to openly express divergent opinions they not only share more information, they consider it more systematically and in a more balanced and less biased way (Hertz, 2013). When people engage with different opinions, perspectives, and views from their own they become more capable debunking critical assumptions and identifying alternative ideas. Speaking up also helps stem illegal and unethical behavior, address mistreatment and injustice, and, more routinely, bring problems to the attention of those leaders who can authorize action.
But leaders must create an environment that welcomes healthy dissent with trusted advisors who challenges group thinking. The onus is on our leaders to create an environment that encourages a balanced perspective where employees at all levels are able to speak and be heard.
I read in a Forbes article by Tardanico (2012) that suggests that organizations benefit by having a range of perspectives. The following are key perspective for any business. A “Contrarian” perspective offers an opposing view that questions and provides worst-case and “what if” scenarios. An “Everyman” perspective helps leadership understand the lower levels of the organization. The “Optimist” brings positive energy and approaches any situation from best-case scenarios perspective. Having a “Voice of the Customer” represented, serves as an advocate for customers, clients, and consumers. The “Bleeding Heart” is an empathetic member of the leadership team that keeps the organization aware of the potential impact of decisions and actions made. Lastly the “Sage” is a thoughtful strategist and can play the role of coach. Having each of these roles on staff creates a well-rounded set of advisors that can help organizations make better decisions and see other options that would have otherwise been missed with a group think mentality.
At the end of the day, saying no to the yes men mentality not only creates a better working environment, but having a variety of perspectives can help steer the organization away from potential problems.
References
Allen, T. (2018, November 10). Are you creating ‘Yes Men’ and hindering your own leadership success? Forbes. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/terinaallen/2018/11/10/are-you-creating-yes-men-and-hindering-your-own-leadership-success/#40c2a7864516
Hertz, N. (2013, September 11). Every leader needs a Challenger in Chief. Harvard Business Review. Retrieved from https://hbr.org/2013/09/whos-your-challenger-in-chief
Tardanico, S. (2012, February 28). Your inner circle: Beware of suck-ups and Yes-Men. Forbes. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/work-in-progress/2012/02/28/your-inner-circle-beware-of-suck-ups-and-yes-men/#21d5805d30ba
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