Kids often take a stand against going places they’ve never been, eating food they’ve never seen and doing things they’ve never done. The crazier part is that as soon as the option is eliminated, they throw a fit because they can’t have it. It’s pig headed and silly, but they’re kids. But I see organizations (run by adults!) do this too.

If there’s one thing I cannot stand in an organization, it’s a “cement waffle.” A cement waffle is someone who constantly takes a stand against. The truth is they are not for anything. They are simply against everything anyone else wants to do. They will have all sorts of reasons concerning why they should not do X, but the truth is had you offered them Y, they would have preferred X simply because it’s not Y.

Five things I’ve learned about cement waffles:

1. Their position will always change because they just don’t want to do anything.
2. They tend to bring their entire team down because their negativity is overwhelming.
3. They never make progress because they are always anchored by the weight of their own indecision.
4. Often, cement waffles look good from a distance but when you dig under the surface you find out they have nothing positive to offer.
5. Cement waffles always break under pressure. If you lack conviction, you will not have the internal fortitude to push through problems to success.

So, when are you a cement waffle? Why?