Toxic culture - the organisational PacMan
In previous posts, I have referred to the need to actively understand, and often challenge, an organisation’s internal culture. Failure to do so on the basis that ‘it’s all good’ or it’s better to ‘let sleeping dogs lie’, often suggests a combination or blind faith, incompetence and/or more malignant motives. Whether deliberate or not, the wrong culture is toxic to the health and welfare of the people who work there. (Yes it’s bad for the organisational entity too..)
Toxic organisational culture devours everything… Not just Strategy for breakfast, but also ethics for lunch and trust for dinner..
Like the Pac-Man arcade game, toxic culture works its way around the organisation’s subterranean tunnels of power, personalities and process, slowly converting everything in its path to dysfunctional behaviour and conduct.
As culture commonly operates below the surface, it is often hard to spot, hard to characterise, hard to analyse and hard to challenge. And like Pac-Man, when viewed from above or externally, the organisational structure looks apparently solid yet is riddled with cancerous subcultures and holes, just waiting for the right tipping point to trigger a collapse. Think Enron, the GFC, the Royal Commission into the Financial Services Industry and the increasing number of complaints surfacing daily against politicians and their staffers in various Australian Parliaments.
But these levels of toxicity are a bit extreme aren’t they? Surely my own organisation isn’t like that?
Well, yes they are extreme and no, probably not most other organisations (notwithstanding suggestions to the contrary by some politicians).
But as noted above, it’s hard to really know what happens out of sight, behind closed doors, in conversations and off-site. Secondly, it’s often the little things that, if not dealt with early, can spawn bigger things. Put another way, ‘from little things, big things grow’. While this memorable phrase relates to the song by Paul Kelly and Kev Carmody in relation to Vincent Lingiarri’s fight for indigenous land rights, conversely, bad things can grow from what might be perceived as ‘normal’ workplace conduct or ‘team building’.
For example, if the dominant culture is about profit, sales targets, bonuses etc, then how well does staff well-being and respect survive against long hours, macho-driven ‘just do it’ culture and self-interest? Just ask the financial services industry or the parliamentary and political advice industry? And are these outcomes remotely surprising?
Yet toxicity can take less malign forms (initially). Friendships within work are often not only tolerated but openly encouraged – think footy tipping competition, social events, Christmas parties, quiz nights etc. But building more collegiate environments also comes with related risks – friendships can lead to promotions that may not be merit based, favouritism emerges, inappropriate behaviour (misuse of credit cards, long lunches, poor workplace performance, office gossip) increases, client dissatisfaction can grow and those ‘on the outside’ and not favoured can lose motivation or move on. And so it goes, until the implosion..
Dealing with the Pac-Men
Organisational culture can enable the workplace, build a collaborative environment and allow organisations to thrive. But it is a fallacy to think it will happen organically and without effective (risk) management. Preventative measures largely involve defining the norms of behaviour and conduct that the organisation will and won’t tolerate and making sure they are applied to everyone.
What does this look like?
Define what the organisation is about in terms of values and rules. In doing so, the focus should shift from can/can’t and black/white decision making to should/shouldn’t and grey decision making. That means it is more about ethical choices than ‘bending the rules’. This also includes being explicit about the trade-offs between profit/targets etc, the organisation’s values & rules and the short and long term goals of the organisation.
Simplify and harmonise the organisation’s values and rules so they are simple to find, read and adopt.
Build individual trust, autonomy & accountability, not hierarchies, micro-management & self-interest. This includes providing a supportive culture that actively encourages people to voice concerns about their workplace, without being trivialised, marginalised or persecuted.
Regularly test cultural foundations (surveys, exit interviews, performance reviews, 360 degree feedback, whistleblower regime) and be open to warning signs – they are always there..
Finally, deal with allegations of conduct that might transgress organisational values through procedures that are capable of applying to everyone, are dealt with quickly, not brushed under the carpet and, to the extent possible, are transparent. The inherent fear of ‘reputational’ damage when airing dirty laundry needs to be balanced against the internal damage (demotivation, cynicism, absenteeism, lost productivity, loss of staff, poor client service) when bad behaviour goes unpunished, or worse, rewarded.