Members of the organization watch as opportunities pass by and pathways are never explored (beyond being outlined in one of a dozen position papers). Procedural manuals are brought out and revised while the real operations of the organization are creating chaos. Extensive strategic planning is being done, while short term actions and a bit of risk-taking is needed (a Ruby Red orientation). This inaction and the resulting Analysis Paralysis can lead to disappointment, impatience and the harm associated with a loss of opportunity, loss of potential income, or even the loss of a current or potential job. Harm is engaged at yet another level when Golden Yellow leadership is dominant. With all the rationality in place, there seems to be little room for empathy or care (Azure Blue). Not only are people in the organization wounded by the organization’s inactions—they also find nowhere in the organization to gain a sense of empathy and care. Golden Yellow leadership can lead to a wounding of opportunity.
We can return one last time to the Savannah of Africa, to gain a fuller understanding of the potential for harm when Golden Yellow perspectives and practices prevails in an organization. It is not only fight and flight that are engaged when those living on the Savannah encountered a threatening lion or rival tribe. There was a third choice – and it was probably the one most often chosen (because human beings are weak and slow). This choice was freeze. Like the small mammals of the Savannah, human beings probably often just stood in place or hid behind a tree, hoping they would either not be discovered or would be uninteresting as a source of food for the lion or being a worthy adversary as the opponent of a challenging tribe.
The freeze strategy certainly makes sense when the alternative is to lose the fight or lose the race with a lion or powerful invading tribe. The problem is that freeze plays havoc with our physical and mental health. While the rodents will tend to shake off their frozen state after a few seconds (there draining off the chemicals that were preparing the animal for taking some action), human beings have not been known to do a similar dance after being frozen.
Especially in contemporary times, human beings tend not only to remain frozen for a long period of time (given that imaginary lions and invading tribes don’t soon leave), they also do very little to drain off the arousing chemicals. Some of us are smart enough to go to the gym, close the door to our office and scream about the injustice done to us, or join a protest march. These actions are all quite healthy in terms of our physical and mental health. Unfortunately, a Golden Yellow environment is not conducive to this release of tension. Rather, members of the organization stay frozen in Analysis Paralysis and great harm is done while they remain in this state. Freeze creates harm.
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