What You See May Not Be What You Get
What if we all had x-ray vision to see beyond the visible into the invisible? What if we could see beyond a company’s balance sheet to understand their culture and strategies? What if we could see beyond the words people use, to understand the intent behind them? We’d likely make more informed choices, better investment decisions, and smarter selections in our relationships, career, and life in general.
Fortune Magazine’s recent article on How HP Lost Its Way (by James Bandler with Doris Burke, Fortune, May 21, 2012) provides an inside look at what they call “a dysfunctional company struggling for direction after a decade of missteps and scandals.” After the departure of CEO Mark Hurd following allegations of inappropriate behavior with a HP contractor, it became evident that his “external success had concealed internal deterioration.” The search firm consultant who recommended the new CEO supposedly told HP’s board of directors that Leo Apotheker would be “one of the best CEO picks ever”, but he only lasted eleven months. When the current CEO, Meg Whitman was initially asked to join the board of directors by Chairman Ray Lane, she reportedly thought that it sounded interesting and fun, and that it was likely a well run company. “What could go wrong?” she said. Once she accepted the CEO role after Apotheker’s departure, she gained a clearer picture of the needs and opportunities at this company. 
The Image
The fact that the internal reality at HP was apparently different from the external appearance they projected shouldn’t be surprising. People, just like companies, get caught up in presenting a positive image or façade to others. We want others to invest their time and attention in us, just as companies want people to invest money and purchase their products. If they’re viewed as being well run, with high quality products, good customer service orientation, and high brand equity, more people will make that investment. Similarly, if we’re viewed as highly qualified and adding value to our organizations, others will be attracted to us, and we’ll have more opportunities.
The real question is whether the image we present, or the part of the organization that’s visible is based on deception or transparency. Deception doesn’t want you to know what’s underneath. It’s a cloaking strategy. It’s designed to present a visible image that will meet the expectations of the viewer, and hide the negative perception of reality. Images based on transparency are willing to be open and honest about what’s underneath. They operate in integrity, admit their shortcomings yet continually work to improve themselves.
Cloaking Strategies
But instead, some interviewees dress up their resumes. They exaggerate their experience and/or education to ostensibly give them an edge for a better position. There are enough stories of corporate officers and employees who have alleged personal qualifications that are later revealed to be false, resulting in a negative impact on their compensation or their jobs.
Some companies dress up their financial statements to look attractive to potential investors. They hide losses, play up exciting future products, minimize operating costs, downplay risks and competitive threats. Those who take it to an extreme, like Enron, simply set themselves up for a great fall. It becomes a vicious cycle because more covering up is generally necessary to perpetuate the image that they’ve created.
All of these are cloaking strategies. They are actions designed to shield the negative reality of a situation from others; to appear more appealing, interesting and valuable. It’s happening all around us because all of society is buying into investing in appearing to be more than we really are. Sometimes you can see through the deception with tangible tools….digging through balance sheets, asking questions, conducting an audit. Other times the deception is so deep that no one recognizes it as such.
My Vision
I pray first that I won’t get caught up in similar deception; that I will be transparent about who I am, what I value and represent, and what I am doing.
I pray also for vision to see through the deceptions of others; that I will look at people and situations with my spiritual eyes, not just physical vision. That I will see things as God sees them, and not as man sees them. That I’ll use my senses to see, because seeing is about more than just vision. Seeing is about paying attention to what you hear, how you feel, and what your spirit is saying. Seeing in the spiritual realm requires a relationship with the Seer Himself.