If an organisation delivers doesn’t mean is healthy: in my career I came across some ones that were producing results but, being at the same time not healthy, they were well below the efficiency level you would expect. With the result that at the end you achieve less that what you could achieve because of lost energy.
But.
But if an organisation is healthy, can really produce a boost and give to you, as a manager, a killing competitive advantage.
But what do we mean by healthy? Is quite difficult to find an objective definition on the positive side, so, in order to understand it, we can try the opposite side and trying to find out what the characteristics of an unhealthy organisation are.
Broadly speaking we can identify some prominent indicators:
A) Trust is absent or not homogeneous. This leads to poor teamwork and lack of alignment
B) You live in the fog of war. None or few people have clarity about mission, vision and values
C) A fear of conflict. People are not allowed to say what they really think, leading to either subtle ways to express it like badmouthing or to unexpressed ideas
Looking at these symptoms, it is possible to predict a lack of accountability for the team’s goals, which results in poor execution, inadequate results, and ultimately a poor reputation. Clearly this is not the scenario we want to work in, so let’s revert it to the characteristics we want to positively and actively pursuit.
- Trust is push to amplify results.
Trust is the landmark that identifies cohesive teams. You have it? All will be smoother. You don’t have it? People in your teams will be slave of doubts, fears and uncertainties that make alignment and unity impossible. Remember we are not talking about basic approach like “I trust don’t steal my wallet”. In this context means understanding and accepting each of the people in the team because you are willing to be genuine: I know you won’t take advantage of me. This approach takes time and leaders need to encourage it while remaining witnesses. - Did I say enough times “communicate”?
Among all crucial issues, a good leader stands for the ability to synthesise large amounts of information into something simple. Too often, leaders assume that their staff see and understand what they do, and this causes a lot of problems at runtime. Leaders must continuously clarify and over-communicate the message throughout the organisation to make sure the team understands: if there’s no comprehension there’s no view and performance is lost. - Leave no space for fears. Your aim as a leader is to create a safe environment and encourage debate. In healthy organisations there is an absence of fear and courage to express opinions is rewarded. This doesn’t mean you as a manger want to leave space for polemics and negative thoughts. Means finding a way to express things politely and in with a propositional approach. Can your team members disagree with you and obtain a good listening? Leaders should stimulate creative conflict before making key decisions to achieve shared action.
- Be brave
Managing is not easy. Every day you face difficult problems and your employees observe to understand adherence to the values you declared. Explain yourself, be transparent and inspiring, will be for sure appreciated.
