The Number One Company Culture Killer
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The Number One Company Culture Killer
Mistrust in the organizatin can quickly deteriorate all the work you have done to build company culture. The one thing you are not watching is the one thing causing mistrust in your organization- energy. The Energy is the undercurrent of our leadership style, our employees’ motivation, and the company culture. When I begin to talk energy, people get ready for me to open up my book of woo woo and begin preaching of chakras, crystals, and Reiki. This confuses me because we talk energy all the time. We talk about the energy of the room, being able to cut the tension with a knife, and the charisma of a candidate.
When I started in HR, my boss assigned me the task of “keeping the temperature” of the organization. I was entry level, so it was easy for people to talk to me and share the unfiltered version of how they felt. Since then, I have held onto the importance of this within organizations.
Over time, I have witnessed leaders that come in and begin making changes from day 1, charging through the office with high intensity that have people falling in line quickly. They bark orders and people respond in fear of their jobs. They may be a yeller, or they may hide behind a mask, always searching for what is wrong, ready to pounce and yell “Got Ya” It is effective at hitting the goals- that is, until it isn’t.
The leader that leads by fear, by demands, by high-energy, anger and frustration may drive short term results, but over time employees begin to burnout. They fall into behaviors leading to disengagement because they realize they are just a pawn in the leader’s game. Nobody wants to be a pawn. Everyone wants to feel important and valued.
I have also watched leaders who observe for a time period, and ask for input from the established team on what opportunities they see and how they can support that shift. I have seen that leader gain buy in and support from their teams. They want to win for the leader because they are confident that leader will have their back. If they fail, they know accountability and teamwork will drive them forward, not tear them down.
What is the commonality between the two leaders? Energy. One serves with the energy of mistrust. The other serves with the energy of trust. Which leader would you prefer to be?
Most will answer the one serving with trust. You can hold your team accountable and help mentor and train opportunities as they come up, without believing that your team will slack off because you are not hovering waiting to catch them messing up. The challenge is that we were taught to lead by “micro-managing”. This management style often leads to leaders feeling that their performance is measured by their team’s performance. While that is true, when we enter a space of self-protection, we enter a space of mistrust. As we stated before mistrust can lead down a road to burnout after a short period of time.
Based on my experience partnering with leaders over the past 15 years, here are some simple steps you can take to move your leadership style from mistrusting to trusting.
Build your self-awareness: Be honest with your intentions and the way you are showing up. Keep a journal for a few weeks and note the moments that came up where you were lacking in trust for your team. Write down what your thoughts and fears were around that. That is the key point for change. How can you shift your thoughts and fears to drive your goals.
Conduct an Employee Survey: The undercurrent will show up here. But you have to do it the right way. There has to be a veil to protect the confidentiality. Ask your HR person or consultant to summarize any comments for you, so you resist the urge to find who said what.
You will likely take some of this personally. It is natural. We all do it. But work with your thoughts to move to the win-win. It can help to have gratitude that they still believe there is opportunity for change, which is why they are voicing their opinions. If you also believe there is an opportunity for change, you can create magic in your organization. You may need a moment, or a couple days, but move past the defensive emotions before you communicate.
Do a 360-Degree Assessment: 360s can be viewed as painful mirrors. They are distorted by the perceptions of others and their expectations; but in the world of a leader those perceptions are your reality. The 360 will help you see yourself and your team clearer if you allow it.
Do not do the 360 alone. You will need a mentor, partner, or coach to help you work through the perceptions and identify the areas of opportunity.
Hire a coach: If self-awareness is not your strong suit, or even if it is, a coach can help you navigate through complex thoughts, emotions and outcomes from years of programming.
Coaches act like a mirror for you in a compassionate non-judgmental way that fosters growth and realignment. They can help you drive you goals and get to the results faster.
The key is just because you have done something one way, or because your employees’ energy is what it is today, does not mean you cannot change.
We know you have big dreams and your heart is in the right place. I help my clients dig through the old ways of doing things, find what works, and install new methods that foster growth and team development.
If you are looking for a quick snapshot into your energy, or that of the leaders on your team, I have an assessment that can help you gauge the energy for you and your leadership team called the Energy Leadership Index. It takes 20 minutes to take the online assessment. After taking the assessment, I do a personalized review of the results with my clients to help them do a deeper dive and really understand how the energy shows up and impacts their current goals. You can learn more about these tools here: http://www.emerginglotuscoaching.com/tools/
Remember, today is the present - the opportunity to change tomorrow.
Article Written By Rachel Carey, Leadership Coach, People Strategist, and Speaker at Emerging Lotus Coaching
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