We’re having a culture clash. Help!

This article first appeared November 3, 2011.

Dear Aunty B,

I have a looming issue which is dividing our office.

We have a team in the office that thinks it should be going one way and the rest of the office is heading the other way. The “breakaways” is led by this guy who thinks he is king of the kids (which is icky because he is middle-aged with a droopy moustache).

The problem is that they are demanding all the resources because they are “contributing” the most. The other staff say they keep hinting that the executive team doesn’t know what they are doing, but thank God because they do, and that we could all find the chosen path if only we would listen to them.

As a member of the executive team I think it is time to bring them into line but I don’t want to dampen their enthusiasm.

Lou,
Sydney

Dear Lou,

Heavens! It sounds like you want to throttle them!

Look, what you have perfectly described is the growth of the “informal organisation”. Look it up. Oh I knew you couldn’t be bothered. An informal organisation often grows inside a formal one when people find easier, smarter, better ways of doing things and they gradually redesign their own structure within a formal structure in order to get things done.

This often happens when the people in the informal structure don’t feel the exec managers are listening to them and understand how things need to be changed to meet future requirements. So rather than banging their head against a wall they simply create their own culture with its own goals.

Of course the danger is that a culture clash develops with all the issues that brings around discord, gossip and secrets in the office. And the breakaways as you call them start to work at cross-purposes to the formal company’s goals.

What you need to do is to decide to open your ears. This is not about bringing them into line, but seriously hearing what they are telling you. Get them to do a presentation about the future direction. I bet at the end of it you will understand why the breakaway group has occurred. Either droopy moustache is a cult-like leader who is a nutcase or he is a seer (and Lou, this is far more likely) who is frustrated at the senior management for not understanding that the world has shifted. If you can’t do it bring in an expert to facilitate.

Be smart,
Your Aunty B

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