Most people want to be great: they want to contribute to a cause that matters; connect with others in meaningful ways; and be part of an enduring legacy.

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Unfortunately, the majority of people do not have the internal discipline and motivation to — over an extended period of time — do all the things that it takes to sustain greatness on their own. It is not for a lack of desire or caring; human beings are just not designed to do the day-to-day disciplined things that it takes to be great, all the time.

 

So, left to our own devices, the most that can be done is above average — not because we do not care, not because it does not matter, and not because we do not have it in us; it is simply unnatural to do all those fundamental things that it takes to be great, day-in and day-out. This is where culture takes center stage. 

 

Consider that the difference between the job that you loved and thrived in versus the job you did not was most likely due to its culture.

 

A lack of a well-designed and well-integrated culture is evident when more than 5% of your organization's people are out of step with its strategic focus. An abnormal culture is dysfunctional at a minimum and toxic in the extreme.

 

Signs that an abnormal culture may exist in your organization include: lack of sharing and lack of collaboration across the organization (silos); fixation on blaming others; low morale; workload imbalances; indecision; negative communication patterns; overt hostility and passive-aggressive behaviors; office drama; and the untimely departure of talented employees.

 

At Proclivity, we assist our clients in building and refining their organizational culture, either as part of our talent acquisition strategy, or as a stand-alone project. The good news is that building and refining your organizational culture is an achievable objective when it is done at the direction of your executive leadership and with support of other internal leaders and managers.