1. There are a lot of sociopaths in management/middle management who think that their way is the best way to do things, as well, even when their way is clearly wrong or is going to result in lost time/money/productivity.
2. There's also the classic psychological conundrum known as the "Vietnam Syndrome," where no one wants to be the one to admit that an idea was a losing proposition and end it, so they keep pouring more time/money/productivity into bad ideas, thinking that victory is just around the corner.
3. In addition, blame what I'd call "Charlie Brown and the Football" mentality among managers, usually of the sociopath variety seen in point #1. These are the managers who come to you and say "XYZ, I'd like your input on 123 idea. Do you think we should keep doing it this way, or not?" No matter what you suggest, they will take the input, pat themselves on the back for having consulted with co-workers, then "pull the football away" and let you fall down on your rear while they continue to do what they've always done, because that was their idea in the first place. They didn't want the input, they just wanted to feel like they had done something.
4. Finally, there's the "What Would Management Do?" conundrum. I worked at a hardware store in college. We would often need to special order things for customers. The owner, who had started the store 30+ years before, was a thrifty PA Dutch man who had unusual ideas about doing things, and who was a poor manager -- he was one of the "Firefighters" mentioned earlier, so you could never get him to get input on things. You'd end up trying to "do what he would do," and he'd inevitably say that you did it wrong.
For example: Customer orders floor tile and grout. You need grout for stock, as well, so you combine the grout order with the floor tile order to get free shipping from the vendor. Manager says: "Why did you order it from XYZ vendor? We could have saved 3 cents per bag ordering from ABC supply." However, if you didn't combine the order, and saved up for a stocking order from ABC, you'd either a. run out of grout and get yelled at, or b. Get the admonishment "Why didn't you add that order to the customer's order, we'd have gotten free shipping.
Don't get me started on the religious debates he'd get you into, either.Nice guy, and I learned a lot from him, but he's a perfect example of why change doesn't get implemented.
I'm finding that more and more in today's world, and it's sad. You really can't implement change unless you are working for yourself, or doing something under the radar.
I'm trying to recall a "sociopath" that I met at a store. I've only been doing it for thirty years but maybe it's my age.
Honestly, I go to my GM or the other managers, at staff meetings, and present ideas and sell them on the benefits. Usually, I would prevail. It's called salesmanship. Understand that I don't present half baked ideas.
I assume that you believe that a person with religious values is unable to make changes in the way they conduct business.
If you are doing things "under the radar", you might find yourself having to be your own boss.
