Pragmatism: The opportunistic way of the idealist

In order to change things for the better you need to face the conditions that really exist now.

“When we treat man as he is we make him worse than he is.
When we treat him as if he already was what he potentially could be
We make him what he should be.”

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

I often read this quote as it profoundly resonates with me and represents my approach, especially toward young people. I tend to see more potential in interns or young colleagues than other colleagues do. It fits neatly with my idea that we are always “becoming creatures,” given that we have the mindset that people can learn and develop and are not static in their personality and characteristics.

I made the deduction that the same holds true in the organizational context. That we should act like the organization already is what it could be to make it what it should be.

I was wrong about that.

You want to change the organization for the better and towards the ideal of a flexible and high-performing meritocratic organization that it claims it is or wants to be. Yet on every push in that direction, that same organization seems to slap you in the face: Your promotion is blocked, budgets are cut and doors are being slammed.

But why? You followed all the change and management advice that is deemed ideal. You started with “Why,” you were vulnerable and caring with sufficient candor, and you thought big while also getting the details right - the numbers were simply off the chart. Then why didn’t the organization change for the better, and why did you not get rewarded?

The answer: You didn’t treat the organization and its members as they are.

I, too, was an idealist and clung to how things should be according to my rational worldview. I lacked the maturity to be comfortable with a paradox: I must treat people and organizations as they are and what they can be simultaneously. Holding these contradicting ideas simultaneously also leads to partially contradicting behavior.

I’ll give you an easy-to-follow example. We can all agree that an organization should be meritocratic, meaning people are rewarded through money, recognition, and promotion for their merit. The directive is clear if we look at the organization and man for what it can be: Do the best work possible, and the organization will reward you.

Yet, when you look at the organization you work for, is this the case? Do you firmly believe that those who do the best job are promoted? Probably not.

Schmoozing, likability, personal networks, and intelligent political maneuvering are indispensable parts of organizational life. Following the meritocratic idea, spending time on these things is a waste. However, lack of acknowledgment of “politics” in an organization doesn’t lessen its impact. That’s why you see persons who excel at these things move up the career ladder faster than you do.

It is an uncomfortable truth that to gain the power to improve things, you might need to take actions that conflict with your values and long-term intentions (assuming you aim towards that meritocracy).

You can reasonably argue that this behavior would be opportunistic because it probably is in the short term. If you follow through on your commitment, however, it is pragmatic. It allows you to solve the problems you are facing in a sensible way that suits the conditions that really exist now, rather than obeying fixed theories, ideas, or rules that stick to how things should be - but are not.

I can fully understand if the idea of Machiavellian schemes to improve things irritates you. But it is little use criticizing the excesses of terrible leaders and organizations but then being too squeamish to engage with and win power yourself.