Listen, or This Won't Work 153 Chapter 10 on' ork Listen, or T his W on ' t W or k eremy was excited about his opportunity to make a differ- ence. His new job involved a transfer to a wonderful city in the Southwest where he would serve as a process improve- ment specialist, analyzing projects and tasks, and making rec- ommendations for increased efficiency. Unfortunately, Jeremy found it odd that whenever he asked anyone for input on how to improve a project, all he got was an uncomfortable pause, usually followed by "I don't know." The reason for this became clear at a staff meeting his second month on the job. The plant manager asked if anyone had thoughts on a particular capital improvement project. After a long silence, Jeremy offered a recommendation for how to shave a few days off the installation procedure--a move that would save the company a lot of money. Surprisingly, the senior manager cut Jeremy off and dis- counted the data he'd presented. When Jeremy cautiously asked the reason, his boss lowered the boom by raising his voice. "I'm telling you, I don't agree with it, so we're not going to do it." Suddenly, Jeremy knew why nobody offered input or made suggestions. J 153