So you’ve recognized the symptoms of a dysfunctional workplace—dishonesty, lip service, defensiveness, deflecting blame, conflict avoidance, gossip—and diagnosed the disease. You’ve confronted the problem head-on. Good work.
Now it’s time for the cure.
Getting rid of the negative is essential, but it’s vital to put something positive in its place. Most of these dysfunctions amount to employees shooting their energy at each other because there’s nothing else to aim for. What’s needed is a single, shared vision.
Everyone wants to be a part of something bigger than themselves. Everyone wants to feel productive and be happy. Give yourself and those around you a clear and positive picture of where you want to go as a group and most of them will jump at the chance to be a part of it.
When people align around a vision of great service, pettiness and dysfunctional behaviors fall away, and people become who they need to be to make it happen. The potential to fall into destructive habits is present in everyone, but so is the potential to work together toward a positive goal.
Will there still be those who stubbornly hold on to their dysfunctions? I guarantee it. And once you’ve given them plenty of opportunity to find and follow their better angels, for the sake of the rest of you, you must gently but firmly encourage them to find and follow their bliss elsewhere.
Are you ready to do what it takes to end the dysfunctions and create a can-do culture in your workplace?