Should You Be an Island at Work?

Should You be an Island at Work?

Frequently the culture of an organization can become repressive, not in the “Gestapo” sort of way, but more like one that is not very conducive to employee engagement.  You know what I mean, there is little recognition of positive performance, no discussions about the future and how you fit in… maybe you are the “people person” in a sea of analytical employees… and your people skills are not valued.

I am working with a client in a company where the pervasive culture is to not recognize exceptional performance.  She is seen as the shallow”glad hander” because she makes every attempt to recognize her staff with praise when they deserve it.  She wonders if she stands out like a sore thumb.  I think she stands out like an island of excellence in a sea of mediocrity!  But from a practical standpoint, what should she do? How can she buck the trend without being bucked off the horse? I have two ideas below, but I’d sure like your help on this one.

Recognize there are limits to non-conformance… even when you are in the right.  Non-conformance can have a price, so try to find the middle ground that respects your values but doesn’t put you at odds with the company culture. Executives are supposed to fit in and sometimes the “suit” they have to wear is a little outdated and shabby. Nevertheless, find a way to wear it or find another tailor.

Remember, performance goes a long way in allowing you to be “outstanding”. If your department and staff outperform the rest of the pack, you will get positively noticed… provided you obtain that performance in an acceptable manner. This grants you a great degree of latitude in most companies where outcomes outweigh all else.  That said, if you threaten, intimidate and belittle your staff to drive performance, it will catch up with you. Even leaders who haven’t completely bought into the idea of employee engagement don’t want lawsuits.

I’d love your feedback and advice on this issue; Dan McCarthy, author of the blog Great Leadership, recently wrote about this issue from the perspective of a bad boss. But I know this problem is not limited to just the boss. Please, tell me your experiences and how you overcame a “poor” company culture. It will help my client and help me be a better coach.

Thanks.