Main Idea
What is the impression when someone walks into your office? Is it closer to a circus where everyone is having fun or a morgue? Do people like working with each other? Do they trust each other to do their jobs and respect them for that?
Expansion of Idea
One of the all time classic business movies is “Office Space”. The main character’s name is Peter. Peter goes to work, shows up late, sits and stares at computer screens and printouts, avoids any semblance of work and then goes home. His life is completely devoid of meaning. He has eight bosses who constantly remind him when he does not attach the cover sheet to the TPS report. The only friends he has at work have the same negative attitude that he does and they spiral downward to the point where they steal from the company. It is a very funny but extremely weird and disturbing movie because we have all been there at some time in our life. Chances are there is someone in your organization that isn’t very far from being like Peter.
What is the effect on your business when your people don’t like working with others? When I was with my previous employer, we had seven support team members who did not function as a team. It was a real life version of the reality TV show “Survivor”. It was destroying productivity and just wasn’t much fun to go to work. With the partner’s approval, another manager and I put them together in a room. We told them that they could either figure out how to work with each other or they could leave. At that point, we honestly did not care. They chose to stay and productivity rose significantly.
In our business organizations, there needs to be a level of camaraderie and respect for each other and for our bosses. We have to enjoy working with each other and we have to trust each other to do their part. There will be mistakes, but when you work together, you can fix and overcome the mistakes. When the team is dysfunctional, the level of mistakes will rise in geometric progression as the level of dysfunction rises. This can cripple our businesses.
Questions to Ask Yourself
Do I like working with my team?
Do I trust my coworkers to do their job?
Are there things we can do to improve the camaraderie?
Are there things we can do to improve the trust and respect?