Culture is destiny is business. All you have to do is think about the companies that you know (or you’ve read about) that have a culture of profit above all, greed, indifference (to both customers and employees) and you can clearly see that culture is destiny. Sooner or later, a bad culture manifests itself in bad results and a failing enterprise.
What’s your culture? What are your office politics?
Let’s hope that that you are not observing any of the following scourges in your business:
The Emperor’s New Clothes
This very common political situation arises in companies in which the leaders are feared. Even though the employees can see that there are problems with the organization, they will not reveal their thoughts to the owners. In fact, they will typically tell their bosses whatever they think the bosses want to hear – which is obviously not where you want to be! The best way to avoid this phenomenon is to project openness, fairness, and empathy in all your dealings with people – both internal and external. When you are perceived as approachable and fair and a good listener, your employees and customers will feel comfortable being straight with you.
Gossip
Office gossip is corrosive. It’s destructive. It’s a huge waste of time and results in loss of productivity.
Managing this common form of organizational politics is challenging. Leadership should model the desired behavior by being consistently careful to avoid talking about others in the organization. At the vey least, the owners or managers – through their daily conduct – should be setting the tone: “We are a professional organization; we focus on our customers, sound business practices, and proper treatment of others. Gossip is not welcome here.”
If that tone is not set, gossip will exist. Guaranteed.
Backstabbing, Undermining Peers, Cutthroat Actions
There are many ambitious business people who think that undermining colleagues is a legitimate way to get ahead. In fact, if the political situation in the business is such that the backstabbing appears to result in a positive outcome for the perpetrator, then you’ve got a real tough political situation on your hands. There are several positive steps that can be taken to keep this undesirable behavior out of your organization, including: a) avoid hiring the backstabbers in the first place! b) when you see it manifesting itself, move swiftly! Make it explicitly clear that this sort of behavior is not tolerated in your business; c) foster a culture in which team work and collaboration is rewarded rather than aggressive behavior and backstabbing.
Working in Isolation
Politics percolating through a business organization inevitably creates barriers to communication. Without sound, consistent and effective communication, people end up working in isolation from one another. In the worst cases the company devolves into a collection of silos, isolated from each other by politics and a toxic culture.
The solution is simple – management has to break down the barriers to communication, foster teamwork and the free exchange of information, and guard against the “us and them” mentality that thrives in highly politicized offices.
Office politics is a scourge! Is has no place in your thriving business!