The success and failure of a company highly depend on its culture. We often blame culture for people’s mindset and behavior, yet many can’t put a finger on what it really is. What is culture? Culture is the shared truth in any context and group. It’s like air—we all breathe it, are often unaware of it and contribute to it, often unknowingly.

Culture is reflected in everything, from the physical layout of a place to hallway conversations to how nonmembers are treated. People from outside can often identify the culture better than the ones who are in it. It is sometimes referred to as the smell of the place. Being in a place for so long, one gets used to the smell no matter how good or bad. A newcomer will have more awareness of the smell, until the awareness fades into the background.

Many business owners and leaders come to me because they’re not happy with their organization’s performances. They’re frustrated with their team’s inability to function without their direction and guidance on every single detail. They want their businesses to thrive faster to align with their visions. They complain that the employees just can’t learn fast enough and are not good enough. They approach me so I can fix “the people.” Most times, they don’t realize that the culture they have built hinders the very thing they want. And the culture they have built often reflects who they are, their own fears and limiting beliefs.

Toxic culture

No matter how brilliant the products and services are, success is not guaranteed with a weak organization. Unclear and complex processes, poor customer service and relations, disengaged employees are all symptoms of a toxic culture.

Here are some elements that are mundane at first glance but can grow into a toxic culture gradually and eventually.

1. One person decides everything. If there are many processes and tasks involved in a business, one person making all the decisions is bound to cause a bottleneck. Bottlenecks will cause delays in processing, possible conflicts among stakeholders and frustrations both in the person deciding and the ones who are waiting. Another disadvantage is someone who decides on things they are not experts in. This can be frustrating to people who may know better about the subject.

2. People don’t buy into the vision. If employees only work for money, their involvement is bound to be finite and shortlived. It will last until the next increase in paycheck is no longer enough. These employees tend to have limited stakes in the company’s success measures. They will have limited ownership and accountability for their responsibilities.

3. Employees aren’t capable of handling challenges. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi defines the state of flow to be the intersection of the challenge of the work and one’s capability. If the challenge is too high, they tend to be anxious and stressed. If challenge is too low, they get bored and disengage. If employees don’t get the training they need to excel at their jobs, this will lead to lower job satisfaction and morale.

4. Lack of empowerment. Every decision needs to be consulted and asked. People on the ground are not allowed to make decisions. This indicates a lack of trust in people’s abilities, integrity and decisions. Employees who are not trusted and empowered will act like robots. They need to be given instructions for each task assigned to them.

Paralyzed

5. People are criticized at every turn. Many employees get scolded for so many of the things they do, and don’t get mentorship on how to do things right. This paralyzes them and makes them second-guess themselves. The consequence of this is even more mistakes. When people doubt everything that they do, they’re bound to commit even more blunders.

6. Lack of focus. When there’s too much on the plate, things are bound to fall through the cracks. No matter how good someone is, something’s got to give. Leaders tend to disproportionately depend on those who get things done. This results in a few burned-out employees, and the rest of the organization staying stagnant and lacking responsibility. They become unrealized potentials because they’re not taught and given the opportunity to show what they can do.

7. Leaders are control freaks. When leaders are control freaks, information is always limited across the organization. They don’t know where the company is headed, why they do what they do, how they should think of what they do. Everyone is on a need-to-know basis. This kills the company spirit and impacts the business end to end.

Culture could either be the vitamin that magnifies the strength or the venom that poisons the organization. Most cultures start with great visions and intentions. In small companies, they usually mirror the personalities and preferences of the leaders and owners. If the leaders and owners don’t work on their blind spots, their biggest weaknesses will be mirrored by the organization. —CONTRIBUTED 

The author is an executive coach and an organizational development consultant. You may reach out to her through [email protected].