A ‘Tell’ is an unconscious, usually inconspicuous, sign that something is happening. It is a term commonly used in card games, someone scratches their nose when they pull an ace, or looks over at their drink when a potential flush, is well, flushed.
Cultural failure is all around us, in our workplaces, communities, and institutions. The news bulletins are full of it, so full we seem to becoming immune, no longer enraged, just sad and drained at the seeming inevitability.
However, when you see a problem early enough, you pick the ‘tells’, you can often address them as molehills before they emerge as mountains.
So what are the tells of a failing culture?
In my experience there are a number of very common ones, the presence of any is a sign of disturbance to be addressed, more than one is a problem.
Lack of accountability.
When accountability is clear, individuals tend to act in more predictable and generous ways. When that accountability is to a peer group, rather than just ‘a boss’, that tendency is amplified, as we are social animals, and our welfare is tied to the welfare of the group. Behaviour that leads to the erosion of the welfare of a peer group leads to expulsion, and that is a huge penalty, greater than any that can be imposed by a ‘manager’
Shortage of diversity.
This has little to do with gender, ethnicity, sexuality, or any other label that can be applied by pressure groups. It is all about the diversity of thinking, background, and understanding. That diversity of thinking does flow from the diversity of the people, but it is not a direct correlation. Actively seeking those who are willing and able to shed a different light on issues and challenges, hearing those often challenging views and taking account of them in decision making, is a sign of a healthy culture
Absence of investment in people.
The greatest asset of most businesses walks out the door at 5.00 every day. Without them, a business is just a shell, a building, unable to get anything done. Investing in people is an essential ingredient of not just success, but remaining in business. There is piles of evidence that an investment in people is a great investment, generating a very fat return, but it is long term, hard to measure, easy to cut when times get a bit tough. The best enterprises double down on their people, particularly over the last 25 years as we have moved towards business models that value intangibles over tangibles.
Relentless imposed pressure.
High pressure environments wear people out, generate mistakes, short cuts, and poor behaviour. Every enterprise has times when things are really busy, the pressure is really on for some reason, but when it is relentless, and unchanging, particularly when imposed by a management that is using its power to impose the pressure rather than the individuals taking it on willingly, it is corrosive.
Walk the talk.
Talking about the desired culture and the behaviours, standards and ethics that underpin it is one thing, easy for most, the hard bit is to walk the talk, every day. This applies most specifically to the leadership of the enterprise. The behaviours that support a great culture are embedded and reflected at all levels. However, they have no chance at all if the person at the top is not diligent about their behaviour, every day, in even seemingly small and supposedly unseen ways. People listen to what their leadership says, and if it is not exactly as they behave, they ignore what is said, and mirror and multiply the behaviour.
If you have ever seen a slick, egotistical CEO deliver a persuasive narrative about the importance of people, and a month later oversee a ‘re-engineering’ because the quarterly numbers are down, you know what I mean.
As you think about the culture in your business at the beginning of the new decade, you need to look at yourself and your behaviour early on in the process.
My thanks to Scott Adams for the portion of a Dilbert cartoon acting as the header, that reflects the last sentence.
