Workplaces are extremely competitive because not everybody is promoted or rewarded. For e.g., there are many contenders for the next CEO but there can only be one. This is true for all the other positions in the organization and the story is same in all organizations.
Though there may be exceptions to the following statement, but it can be mostly considered true that only those individuals with proven excellence, in performance, skillset and personal attributes, becomes the rising star if you discount biased appointments. Everybody wants to be a rising star by proving to be smarter than the other.
Lot goes on inside each driven individual’s mind and behind his/her actions and behaviors, to showcase mettle in the eyes of the decision makers (or influential in the decision). The fact that ‘influentials’ are not always watching you closely, onus is felt by individuals to make themselves visible and so feel compelled to blow their own trumpet to ensure what they are doing is noticed. Imagine that everybody is playing their own trumpet. Can you imagine how much noise (figuratively) there is at workplaces? You may have noticed multiple individuals claiming credits (I did it or it happened mainly because of me) to success in their own circles. Such dynamics are making workplaces murky. How much sanity can there be in such workplaces?
In this competitive noise at play, there are a range of behaviors at display, not all of them can be termed above board or fair since it is not easy to show your actions and results without people miring it with their own selfish and opposing intentions and perceptions.
While it may still be easier, only relatively, if you are an individual contributor but in a team situation it is even harder. Teams are generally closed systems and that makes it less transparent and difficult for outsiders to know the reality of the existing dynamics and work situation in a team. Virtual workplaces have multiplied this challenge for individuals because they are less visible now.
Take for e.g. cross-functional team of head of functions consisting of COO, CFO, CMO, Chief of HR etc., they all are probably eyeing to be the next CEO and because of that fact they might be always trying to prove their idea is better than the others’. You would agree the amount of politics that are involved at that level.
Such dynamics are unproductive for organizations. If people are busy thinking of outsmarting their peers, then when are they going to think of outsmarting competition or innovating their business for grabbing additional market share or additional value.
With so much of undercurrents how do we expect people work cohesively in teams? What could leaders do to build a trusting and collaborative working culture. However, it is organizational requirement that people work together cohesively in projects and deliver excellence as teams.
It might look daunting and uphill journey but if leaders seriously intend to change the character, behavior, and outcomes their organization produce, they do not have any other way out but to have a cohesive team culture.
Below are the key changes that leaders need to do initiate change for their organization in the right direction.
- Working on building / maintaining desired culture of their organization should always be on the top of Leaders priority list.
- Communicate clearly and repeatedly ‘Why’ we need to change. Simple and powerful message that not changing is fatal.
- Craft and broadcast an inspiring future direction (Vision) for the organization.
- Highlight key changes in policies, processes, behaviors, and measurements that needs to change without which vision is not possible to be achieved.
- Announce, coach people and follow through in making sure the changes are practiced, supported, and reinforced until it becomes new way for the organization. Through their own action build trust and showcase that they are serious about transforming the organization.
- Monitor the changes, identify, acknowledge, reward to highlight & reinforce the new behaviors. One of the driving assumptions under all these behaviors is ‘people behave the way they are measured?’
In my view, as a captain of the ship, above items should comprise of majority (70-80%) of the leader’s job. Only about 20-30% of their time and energy should be consumed in managing current business, because they have structure, systems, and processes in place to run. They are only required to manage escalations if any or resolve high-level conflicts.
Considering that extent of involvement of current leadership in current business, firefighting is way too high, leader might want to consider getting help from a change management expert in order draw out a roadmap to transition. This is because at times since leaders are so involved in it that they are unable to view the organization’s state with an objective lens. An expert with experience from other such situations could draw parallels and bring in a lot of value.
