In an edited extract from his book Leadership at 43000 Feet, author Chris Smith has some warning signs for EAs who suspect their corporate culture may be in trouble…
Trying to make a ‘team’ when there isn’t one
‘I just delete them.’ How often have I heard that? Lots. Staff won’t tell you, though, that they’re deleting them. And what are they deleting? Falsity – falsity in the form of emails that start with, ‘Hi team,’ when, in fact, they don’t feel part of a team at all. That’s what they’re really deleting – the emotion, a negative one. They just don’t want to hear it, read it or feel it.
We cannot force a team. There may be circumstances when a so-called ‘team’ has to be, such as with sports. There are times we have to work together, like a crew. There are times when we call them teams, but they’re really not. They are teams in name only.
The word is a platitude. The worst situation is management trying to create a team by calling it one. Intelligent people will see it as immature and insulting. And often, staff are just ‘teamed out’.
There is a big difference between a ‘business’ team and a team to which people have a sense of belonging and commitment. But achieve it and there is no downside and a huge upside. Please, ensure you have a real team before you call it one. Build a community; the ultimate team.
The 10% solution
This approach nearly always fails. A new guard arrives. The business isn’t going well. A quick turnaround is necessary – even critical.
A (nominal) 10% staff cut across the board is instituted without truly understanding the medium-term consequences. Or, for that matter, how the business or department operates. Or how it came to be in the position it’s in.
In the short term, of course, some good results happen as costs are reduced. And the share price may rise. It often only lasts a couple of years, however, then quality drops. Morale declines, along with productivity. When that happens, it’s very hard to recover.
Now, this isn’t to say cuts aren’t required. They very often are. But they need to be targeted with extreme care and enacted transparently. Face the music personally and listen honestly. It can be rough, but don’t think you have all the answers. Remember the old adage that 90% of the quality is in the last 10%. Be careful cutting the 10%.
Oh, and be extremely careful about discarding experience. These are the ‘go to’ people; the ones who know why we’re in the position we’re in. Lose them, and we’ll end up right back where we started.
Rumours
These are potentially very dangerous, both for corporate culture and – more seriously – for the individuals involved, including managers.
Address rumours immediately. To do this, even to be aware of them, there is no alternative but to be in there with your staff. On becoming aware of them, there’s often a natural tendency to blame. Avoid this. Ask and correct.
Do so in front of everyone, not just a few. It is virtually impossible for people to walk out of a staff meeting and, with credibility, further spread rumours if the manager actually works with the staff. The amazing thing is that when someone is confronted, they usually express distaste for those who do it. So either they don’t realise or they’re denying it.
Why would anyone spread rumours at all? For some, it’s habitual and normal. Others use rumours as a weapon to damage people or an organisation deliberately. Then some are simply mischievous. And the person who does it to be ‘accepted’. These are very sad cases. They think others want to hear these things and that it will make them popular. They want to belong to a particular group.
Tune in for part two next week…
Also read Why empathy is a forgotten, but vital leadership tool | Executive PA Media
