How Does Workplace Dysfunction Happen?
Dysfunction in the workplace often occurs due to a lack of clarity about company’s vision, each team member’s role in the company, who does what and to what standard of excellence as well as clarity about the growth path of the company and how the company’s management and leadership get results through their teams while maintaining healthy work relationships. Unclear communication is usually the culprit. The lack of clarity often shows up when there is nothing in writing that sets the standard for how things will be done. If there is no business vision in place, there is no unifying idea that drives everyone in the same direction. Instead, you have people doing what they think is best because that’s all they can offer. What helps here is a shift in thinking.
When there are missing pieces, what suffers is accountability. Why? Because the company hasn’t established shared expectations. You can’t have accountability unless you first have shared expectations. The systems and the standards create those shared expectations. It’s unfair to blame employees in a case like this. It’s the responsibility of the company’s leadership to provide that clarity from the hiring process through the onboarding of new hires and going forward as the company grows and changes. Without documenting the company’s vision, key systems and standards that become “the way we do it here,” chaos is the result. If you happen to have some great employees who get their job done well despite the lack of systems and standards, you are lucky. But those employees pay a price because they are the glue that holds everything together. That’s too much pressure on those key employees. It also puts your company at risk if one of those employees leaves.
The Solution to Workplace Dysfunction
A healthy company shares it vision from the moment potential new hires hear about the opportunity during the recruitment process. The value of sharing that vision is that the potential hires gain an understanding of what your company is all about. You want new hires who are inspired to join your vision, not just ho-hum about finding a job. The vision drives both the strategic and tactical initiatives of the company. It’s the job of management and leadership to keep their eyes on these key initiatives and implement them. So a business vision isn’t just window dressing. It has to be connected to the way the company operates every day. It’s like a GPS
5 Tips to Avoid Workplace Dysfunction
- Hire candidates who are inspired to join your vision.
- Establish Position Agreements that define the result, work and standards of their job.
- Build the key systems in your company that establish your operating procedures and ensure the standard of excellence that will set you apart from your competition.
- Provide a manager or supervisor for each employee who will guide their professional development and provide recognition for things done well and support for the challenges that need improvement.
- Track your key indicators to ensure that your company is on track to fulfill the business vision. These indicators are signposts that if followed can ensure your success.
Call Janice at 707-326-5681 if you would like help building your business vision, systems and standards. Having this documentation is essential if you want to avoid Workplace Dysfunction. Now is a great time to build the missing pieces of your business infrastructure. For the rest of October and November, 2020, I am offering a 20% discount for Work Flow Documentation Services. Call to learn more.
