Working as I do with people trying to bring about change in their workplaces I am very conscious of what I have begun to call organisational sludge. The behaviours, attitudes, processes and policies that build up to create the enormous amounts of inertia that make change so difficult.
Like real sludge, you can try to clear it away, push it back, stem the flow. But as soon as you stop your efforts it starts creeping back, seeping into nooks and crannies until it eventually returns to its previous levels.
Maybe we need to instigate regular sessions where we hose everything down, clear the sludge before it gets too hard to deal with. Check ourselves, our actions, our attitudes at the end of the day for any signs of grubbiness and do something about it then before it becomes a problem?
The Obvious? 