I read in the Spectator this week an article about the process political parties typically go through after a defeat.
“Stage 1 We didn’t really lose. (The other guys just happened to luck into an appealing candidate – but people really prefer us).
Stage 2. OK, we lost – but only because the voters are idiots.
Stage 3. OK, we lost and maybe the voters are not idiots – but there is nothing we can do without betraying our sacred principles.
Stage 4. Hey, maybe there is something we can do”.
In other words
Stage 1. Denial
Stage 2. Blame.
Stage 3. Justification.
Stage 4. Responsibility
Sound familiar? So incredibly simple, yet sometimes so incredibly hard.
Only in stage 4 is learning and change possible. How can you help your team move through to stage 4 as quickly as possible (like in 5 minutes!)?
As an aside, in the Specator’s opinion, the Conservative party in Britain is at Stage 4, the Republicans in the US at Stage 1. What do you think? Quote: “The Republicans are in no mood to absorb any lessons. They are waiting for the public to come to its senses and see through the phony Obama”.
