© Dr Kelvyn Youngman, Aug 2012, Revised May 2014 1
Why Good People Appear To Go Bad
In Two Parts
Part I – Technical Part II – Sociological
© Dr Kelvyn Youngman, Aug 2012, Revised May 2014 2
Part I – Technical
© Dr Kelvyn Youngman, Aug 2012, Revised May 2014 3
Why Good People Appear To Go Bad
In Chicago with Sergey Ivanov I drew this diagram as a discussion point as to Why Good People Appear To Go Bad …
© Dr Kelvyn Youngman, Aug 2012, Revised May 2014 4
Why Good People Appear To Go Bad
… and it is not the people, it is the system – right?
© Dr Kelvyn Youngman, Aug 2012, Revised May 2014 5
Why Good People Appear To Go Bad
Except, guess who made the system – the people of course
© Dr Kelvyn Youngman, Aug 2012, Revised May 2014 6
Why Good People Appear To Go Bad
The people are indeed the system
© Dr Kelvyn Youngman, Aug 2012, Revised May 2014 7
Why Good People Appear To Go Bad
So, what is the issue?
© Dr Kelvyn Youngman, Aug 2012, Revised May 2014 8
Why Good People Appear To Go Bad
Well, the issue is that these modern post-1850 things all incorporatea linear serial dependency
> > Linear Serial Dependency > >
© Dr Kelvyn Youngman, Aug 2012, Revised May 2014 9
Why Good People Appear To Go Bad
“LSD” for short
> > Linear Serial Dependency > >
© Dr Kelvyn Youngman, Aug 2012, Revised May 2014 10
Why Good People Appear To Go Bad
Patients, papers, products, planes, plans, whatever; move step by step, task by task, from a beginning towards an end
> > Linear Serial Dependency > >
© Dr Kelvyn Youngman, Aug 2012, Revised May 2014 11
Why Good People Appear To Go Bad
Every hand-off in the process constitutes a dependency with an inevitable wait time and every step in the process contains variability
> > Linear Serial Dependency > >
© Dr Kelvyn Youngman, Aug 2012, Revised May 2014 12
Why Good People Appear To Go Bad
The same type of job takes different times at the same place on different occasions and never the same times at different places
> > Linear Serial Dependency > >
© Dr Kelvyn Youngman, Aug 2012, Revised May 2014 13
Why Good People Appear To Go Bad
The consequence is that the process as a whole always performs way below average expectations
> > Linear Serial Dependency > >
© Dr Kelvyn Youngman, Aug 2012, Revised May 2014 14
Why Good People Appear To Go Bad
So what is the one wrong thing that we do to “fix” this problem – always?
> > Linear Serial Dependency > >
© Dr Kelvyn Youngman, Aug 2012, Revised May 2014 15
Why Good People Appear To Go Bad
We go and add an additional dependency in to make things “better” …
> > Linear Serial Dependency > >
© Dr Kelvyn Youngman, Aug 2012, Revised May 2014 16
Why Good People Appear To Go Bad
… and things only become worse – much worse
> > Linear Serial Dependency > >
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Why Good People Appear To Go Bad
Think of the now thankfully rare case of the “quality inspector”
> > Linear Serial Dependency > >
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Why Good People Appear To Go Bad
You can’t inspect quality in, it is already there!
> > Linear Serial Dependency > >
© Dr Kelvyn Youngman, Aug 2012, Revised May 2014 19
Why Good People Appear To Go Bad
Let’s add in a few more dependencies for good measure
> > Linear Serial Dependency > >
© Dr Kelvyn Youngman, Aug 2012, Revised May 2014 20
Why Good People Appear To Go Bad
Adding in additional dependency increases the length, or rather the duration, of the process and also increases the variability within the process …
> > Linear Serial Dependency > >
© Dr Kelvyn Youngman, Aug 2012, Revised May 2014 21
Why Good People Appear To Go Bad
… moreover it provides an opportunity to move the accountability, and responsibility, from the upstream cause towards the downstream effect
> > Linear Serial Dependency > >
© Dr Kelvyn Youngman, Aug 2012, Revised May 2014 22
It absolves the upstream cause of the downstream impact without ever resolving the actual cause
> > Linear Serial Dependency > >
Why Good People Appear To Go Bad
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Why Good People Appear To Go Bad
In the absence of true knowledge of the system, absolution seems to be the name of the game
> > Linear Serial Dependency > >
© Dr Kelvyn Youngman, Aug 2012, Revised May 2014 24
Why Good People Appear To Go Bad
What we get instead is phoney conflict and collusion with the status quo – good people appear to go bad
> > Linear Serial Dependency > >
© Dr Kelvyn Youngman, Aug 2012, Revised May 2014 25
Why Good People Appear To Go Bad
What then of the vertical component?
> > Linear Serial Dependency > >
© Dr Kelvyn Youngman, Aug 2012, Revised May 2014 26
Why Good People Appear To Go Bad
What then of Jaques managerial accountability hierarchy?
> > Linear Serial Dependency > >
© Dr Kelvyn Youngman, Aug 2012, Revised May 2014 27
Why Good People Appear To Go Bad
Jaques argues that the superior is accountable for the execution of the tasks that the subordinate is responsible for
> > Linear Serial Dependency > >
UpwardsConverging
Accountability
DownwardsDiverging
Responsibility
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Why Good People Appear To Go Bad
Given that this process is already a mess what do you think our manager is going to do?
> > Linear Serial Dependency > >
UpwardsConverging
Accountability
DownwardsDiverging
Responsibility
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Why Good People Appear To Go Bad
He is going to appoint a deputy-vice-assistant manager (acting) – right?
UpwardsConverging
Accountability
DownwardsDiverging
Responsibility
> > Linear Serial Dependency > >
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Why Good People Appear To Go Bad
The purpose of this is to absolve himself of accountability for a process that he does not fundamentally understand
UpwardsConverging
Accountability
DownwardsDiverging
Responsibility
> > Linear Serial Dependency > >
© Dr Kelvyn Youngman, Aug 2012, Revised May 2014 31
Why Good People Appear To Go Bad
Of course with an additional vertical dependency we have additional delay with each decision, increased variability, and less and less direct communication
> > Linear Serial Dependency > >
UpwardsConverging
Accountability
DownwardsDiverging
Responsibility
© Dr Kelvyn Youngman, Aug 2012, Revised May 2014 32
Why Good People Appear To Go Bad
And so it goes until we fundamentally have an even bigger “mess” in which we all become “victims”
> > Linear Serial Dependency > >
UpwardsConverging
Accountability
DownwardsDiverging
Responsibility
© Dr Kelvyn Youngman, Aug 2012, Revised May 2014 33
Why Good People Appear To Go Bad
And if we are victims, then we are certainly victims of our own knowledge and understanding – or rather the lack thereof
> > Linear Serial Dependency > >
UpwardsConverging
Accountability
DownwardsDiverging
Responsibility
© Dr Kelvyn Youngman, Aug 2012, Revised May 2014 34
Why Good People Appear To Go Bad
> > Linear Serial Dependency > >
UpwardsConverging
Accountability
DownwardsDiverging
Responsibility
We have to remove the “noise” – the extraneous dependencies – to allow the system to work once again
© Dr Kelvyn Youngman, Aug 2012, Revised May 2014 35
Why Good People Appear To Go Bad
> > Linear Serial Dependency > >
UpwardsConverging
Accountability
DownwardsDiverging
Responsibility
Both in the vertical sense ….
© Dr Kelvyn Youngman, Aug 2012, Revised May 2014 36
Why Good People Appear To Go Bad
… and in the horizontal sense too
> > Linear Serial Dependency > >
UpwardsConverging
Accountability
DownwardsDiverging
Responsibility
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Why Good People Appear To Go Bad
And to do that we have to add knowledge and understanding back in
> > Linear Serial Dependency > >
UpwardsConverging
Accountability
DownwardsDiverging
Responsibility
© Dr Kelvyn Youngman, Aug 2012, Revised May 2014 38
Why Good People Appear To Go Bad
Requisite Organization for the vertical interaction – the integration aspects …
> > Linear Serial Dependency > >
UpwardsConverging
Accountability
DownwardsDiverging
Responsibility
© Dr Kelvyn Youngman, Aug 2012, Revised May 2014 39
Why Good People Appear To Go Bad
… and Theory of Constraints for the horizontal interaction – the co-ordination aspects
> > Linear Serial Dependency > >
UpwardsConverging
Accountability
DownwardsDiverging
Responsibility
© Dr Kelvyn Youngman, Aug 2012, Revised May 2014 40
End Of Part I
© Dr Kelvyn Youngman, Aug 2012, Revised May 2014 41
Part II – Sociological
© Dr Kelvyn Youngman, Aug 2012, Revised May 2014 42
Why Some Good People Then Appear Badder
But there’s more …
© Dr Kelvyn Youngman, Aug 2012, Revised May 2014 43
Why Some Good People Then Appear Badder
What if individuals within the system “tickle the till,” engage in “shrinkage,” perpetrate acts of fraud or corruption, or even worse?
© Dr Kelvyn Youngman, Aug 2012, Revised May 2014 44
Why Some Good People Then Appear Badder
Bad people per se are rare, they are the psychopaths and sociopaths of this world, and they don’t understand the harm that they cause …
© Dr Kelvyn Youngman, Aug 2012, Revised May 2014 45
Why Some Good People Then Appear Badder
… and they succeed because of the good faith of others and because of the inaction of knowledgeable bystanders
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Why Some Good People Then Appear Badder
History shows that their psychopathy can attain incredible leverage through the actions of others when those actions remain unchallenged …
© Dr Kelvyn Youngman, Aug 2012, Revised May 2014 47
Why Some Good People Then Appear Badder
History also shows that by challenging these actions we can also hugely constrain this leverage
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Why Some Good People Then Appear Badder
Mostly we fear to challenge or to confront, and that is the thing that works in their favour
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Why Some Good People Then Appear Badder
Let’s leave these rare but nevertheless extreme examples …
© Dr Kelvyn Youngman, Aug 2012, Revised May 2014 50
Why Some Good People Then Appear Badder
… and let’s concentrate instead on good people who go bad due to the surrounding sociology rather than underlying psychopathy
© Dr Kelvyn Youngman, Aug 2012, Revised May 2014 51
Good people who act in bad faith are much more common, they recognise the harm that they cause and they recognise the need for secrecy …
Why Some Good People Then Appear Badder
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Why Some Good People Then Appear Badder
… we commonly call these people the perpetrator
Perpetrator
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Why Some Good People Then Appear Badder
And the people who they directly or indirectly harm we call the victims
Perpetrator
Victims
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Why Some Good People Then Appear Badder
The victims are usually unknowing of their role
Perpetrator
Victims
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Why Some Good People Then Appear Badder
The success of the perpetrator is based upon other’s good faith and the inaction of knowledgeable bystanders
Perpetrator
Victims
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Why Some Good People Then Appear Badder
What is it then that tips a good person in this way?
Perpetrator
Victims
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Why Some Good People Then Appear Badder
In order to operate in bad faith we need both a will for it to occur and a way for it to happen
Perpetrator
Victims
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Why Some Good People Then Appear Badder
The will, paradoxically, comes from the misplaced sense of the perpetrator perceiving themselves to be a “victim” of some sort …
Perceived Victim
Victims
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Why Some Good People Then Appear Badder
… or of representing the victims of a perceived relative and local wrong that they wish to right …
Perceived Victim
Victims
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Why Some Good People Then Appear Badder
… a sense of entitlement for past dues
Perceived Victim
Victims
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Why Some Good People Then Appear Badder
The bad faith of the perpetrator is, in actuality, a product of their own good faith – at least initially
Perceived Victim
Victims
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Why Some Good People Then Appear Badder
The isolated argument, the sense of entitlement, the righting of a perceived wrong, becomes self-reinforcing in the absence of external scrutiny
Perceived Victim
Victims
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Why Some Good People Then Appear Badder
“too little recognised, too little remunerated, too little rewarded, and too little resourced,” …
Perceived Victim
Victims
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Why Some Good People Then Appear Badder
... and that is just the rationale of one group of senior medical professionals
Perceived Victim
Victims
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Why Some Good People Then Appear Badder
In righting the perceived relative wrong, the perpetrator, in turn, commits an absolute wrong in terms of the whole system
Perpetrator
Victims
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Why Some Good People Then Appear Badder
Those who are wronged, either inside or outside the immediate system are indeed the true victims
Perpetrator
True Victims
© Dr Kelvyn Youngman, Aug 2012, Revised May 2014 67
Why Some Good People Then Appear Badder
Once the will is established, the way depends upon some sort of; moral, or hierarchical, or technical, or informational superiority …
Perpetrator
True Victims
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Why Some Good People Then Appear Badder
… it is this positional authority that ensures the necessary lack of scrutinyor the ability to hide the evidence from such scrutiny
Perpetrator
True Victims
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Why Some Good People Then Appear Badder
Fraud and corruption is covert, it is not sanctioned by the larger group and it is considered by the larger group to be wrong
Perpetrator
True Victims
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Why Some Good People Then Appear Badder
But what if somebody does know?
Perpetrator
True Victims
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Why Some Good People Then Appear Badder
What if there is, say, a knowledgeable bystander?
Perpetrator
True Victims
Bystander
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Why Some Good People Then Appear Badder
What if there are multiple bystanders?
Perpetrator
True Victims
Bystander
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Why Some Good People Then Appear Badder
Or multiple perpetrators?
Perpetrator
True Victims
Bystander
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Why Some Good People Then Appear Badder
Surely the larger these groups are, the greater the chance of being found out?
Perpetrator
True Victims
Bystander
© Dr Kelvyn Youngman, Aug 2012, Revised May 2014 75
Why Some Good People Then Appear Badder
Well, no, because the sociology is one of fear of separation from that special group, the so-called in-group
Perpetrator
True Victims
Bystander
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Why Some Good People Then Appear Badder
And thus we seek to avoid such separation regardless of whether it is real or whether it is imagined
Perpetrator
True Victims
Bystander
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Why Some Good People Then Appear Badder
Fear of separation from one’s colleagues, one’s family, one’s standing in the community is sufficient to “toe the line” …
Perpetrator
True Victims
Bystander
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Why Some Good People Then Appear Badder
… or maybe that should be “toe the lie” …
Perpetrator
True Victims
Bystander
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Why Some Good People Then Appear Badder
… even if those knowledgeable individuals do not personally subscribe to the sense of entitlement that supports the larger wrong
Perpetrator
True Victims
Bystander
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Why Some Good People Then Appear Badder
The fear of separation is substantiated by a set of negative fantasies, mythological stories of bad things that might just plausibly happen …
Perpetrator
True Victims
Bystander
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Why Some Good People Then Appear Badder
… if we act in a morally and ethically correct way
Perpetrator
True Victims
Bystander
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Why Some Good People Then Appear Badder
Separation anxiety is so great that the “system” can remain metastable much longer than could otherwise rationally be expected …
Perpetrator
True Victims
Bystander
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Why Some Good People Then Appear Badder
… even when the knowledge becomes much more broadly known, the system may still remain extant – in denial that the problem even exists
Perpetrator
True Victims
Bystander
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Why Some Good People Then Appear Badder
So where is the solution?
Perpetrator
True Victims
Bystander
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Why Some Good People Then Appear Badder
How do we get out of what we have got into?
Perpetrator
True Victims
Bystander
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Why Some Good People Then Appear Badder
The solution lies with those who are knowledgeable of the matter and who are willing to act in a morally and ethically correct manner
Perpetrator
True Victims
Bystander
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Why Some Good People Then Appear Badder
Perpetrator
True Victims
Bystander
Such acts of courage function as “lines in the sand” …
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Why Some Good People Then Appear Badder
… such lines in the sand release the perpetrators from their self-reinforcing bind …
True Victims
BystanderPerpetrator
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Why Some Good People Then Appear Badder
… they release the victims as well …
Bystander
True Victims
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Why Some Good People Then Appear Badder
… and everyone else too
Bystander
© Dr Kelvyn Youngman, Aug 2012, Revised May 2014 91
End
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