Workplaces can’t change themselves

Workplaces can’t change themselves.

Organizational Change starts with you. You can tell when a change is needed in the workplace when you feel the toxic organizational culture. Workplaces, and organizations after all are groups of people led by people. So, if an organization wants to change, people should lead the way. A long-term lasting change involves a change in the organizational culture.

Organizational culture is a ‘big’ word used extensively in the last 50 years. Edgar Schein, professor of management from MIT (Schein, Edgar H. "Organizational culture." (1988). has defined three levels of organizational culture:

• Artifacts and behavior -Visible organizational structures and processes.

• Values-strategies, goals, philosophies

• Underlying assumptions- unconscious taken-for-granted beliefs, habits of perception.

 Deciphering the organizational culture can be a lengthy process for an outsider, and yet even a stranger can sense by the conversations at the coffee corner the organizational climate. When common conversations are negative, complaining about the boss, the colleagues, the conditions, the working hours, the food, or the last company retreat, it is a pretty good sign that change is needed.

I am not saying that whenever complaining is present there is a problem, but when complaining is a recurring conversation, it is toxic and it’s contagious. Conversations are visible artifacts but what lies underneath are two strong beliefs:

• The complainers are not responsible for their circumstances

• There is no possible way or change in a workplace like this.

 I firmly believe that change is possible, and it is the responsibility of each individual, leaders more than others but they too cannot do it alone. Post covid -19, as waves of people, left their workplaces, a phenomenon that was coined by Anthony C. Klotz as the “Great Resignation” there was a lot of discussion about toxic culture as the main factor for resignation.

It was widely agreed that toxic culture can be altered by creating more flexible, caring, and supporting environments, which is a wildly amorphic statement but changing the culture starts with little things

Accepting and deciding that change is needed- It may seem obvious, but some organizations are still in denial or hold the notion that things will fix themselves. That is absolutely true, organizations tend to self-organize when no one takes the rains, the question is, how?

🦉Start noticing how you speak and what’s the content of your conversation- be mindful of the things that spread negativity.

🦉Change the conversation- share stories of success, and how people handled challenges, and be interested in what makes people thrive, and what their strengths are.

🦉Engage in Playful activities together- Don’t think about how serious or effective it will be but rather how it can bring people closer. (You may use the ‘Funbreaks’ section to get some ideas)

🦉Adjust and Adapt- change is constant, you are ever-changing, the environment is changing and so the organization is always changing and moving. Embracing a playful mindset is key to staying on the learning and growth path. (more on the playful mindset,talk with me)