Cliques

Could you be considered, by others, to be part of a clique?

I’m not saying that this is a bad thing, or unproductive, indeed being part of a clique is possibly a productive thing in terms of associating with likeminded people who share your views, opinions, hobbies or interests.

Think about yourself. Could you be accused of being part of a clique?

If you are in a clique, ask yourself this question; ‘is this productive for you or your organisation?’

If it is, then continue, as long as it's not hurting or disadvantaging anybody. Carry on and don’t worry.

However, if you are in a clique, consider this; what do other people, who consider themselves not to be part of your clique feel about you or the group? What is the potential for others to feel a sense of injustice or excluded in some way? What are the threats?

Running a business based upon a philosophy of cliquism is dangerous.

A clique is a group of individuals who interact exclusively with one another and share similar interests and we are all probably part of one whether we realise it or not.

They involve groups of people of any age, status or profession and the common feature is that they are often bound together by shared social characteristics.

Being part of a clique is being part of a closed friendship group. The problems usually arise when they become isolated and self-serving and group members consider themselves to be superior in some way to those who are not with the ‘in crowd’.

To fully understand the impact of cliques on business we will need to understand the outcomes associated with clique formations which may be obvious but also more subtle and underminingly destructive to performance and productivity in business.

The minute a group of people set themselves apart from other groups, or with the wider community, the potential for unfairness and abuse of power increases. This goes far beyond fairness, equality and diversity management as it has the potential to undermine trust, confidence, ethics and reputation.

Those who consider themselves to be the ‘outsiders’ have the potential to become ‘trouble makers’ and people who could be victim focused with a sense of injustice.

So, whilst it looks to be OK to surround yourself with like-minded people and with those who share your passion, values, belief or identity. The negative side to all of this could be that some people may see this as some form of supremacy movement.

The exclusion of others, in reality or otherwise, may cause some people to feel excluded, unwanted or not valued. Cliques are often the basis for irrational exclusions, unfairness, toxic behaviour and bullying.

Clique conformity is a fascinating subject. Consideration of what sustains and maintains a clique tells us a lot about human nature, but I am more concerned as to what the ‘outsiders’ or people not in the clique are feeling and may be motivated to do against those to be in the perceived ‘in group’.

Research suggests that cliques populate every office, organisation, community, church, school in fact everywhere where there are groups of people. It’s almost a natural ‘human activity’. Due to the negative impact upon culture however we may need a wake-up call to the negatives of cliques.

Clique cultures often lead to Cronyism, which is the practice of partiality in awarding jobs and other advantages such as positions of authority to friends, family relatives or trusted colleagues, regardless of their qualifications. It is seen as a way of maintaining power and reducing challenge.

If we are all prone to becoming conditioned into acceptance of clique cultures, what can we do about it?

First thing is for all those in positions of Leadership to be aware of the potential in us all to succumb to working in cliques.

These should be differentiated against professional alliances, networks and associations. Unproductive cliques should be considered as unproductive and steps should be taken to establish the level of these prevailing cultural norms.

What are your clique networks?

At work, simply asking around is my favourite technique, but cultural audits are the norm. People are often quick to share their opinions on such matters, so a degree of discernment is always required to identify the truth of the situation and to decide what is productive and non-productive. The bigger question is what do people feel in terms of values alignment, belonging, trust and confidence.

Leaders need to be mindful of cliques and the wider perception of others to their existence.

We need to establish systems and procedures to prevent unproductive cliques occurring in the future. These strategies are best backed up with effective communication.

Organisational and personal networks need to be widened, alliances and collaboration encouraged.

Overall then;

Judgemental thinking needs to stop.

Inclusion needs to be valued.

Challenge and feedback should not be seen as a threat but a learning opportunity.

Diversity needs to be championed.

Specifically, all opportunities for appointment, promotion, learning and development needs to be advertised and available to all qualified applicants.

Selection must always be on merit and based on skills and abilities to do the job.

Attitude, values alignment and professionalism will drive forward an ethical drive to enhance personal and organisational reputations based upon trust and confidence by all.

Survival tips.

If you do find yourself in an office which is populated by cliques.

·        Don’t get drawn into fitting in in any way which causes you to be conflicted

·        Spend time with your all of your colleagues, get to know them and let them get to know you

·        Be professional at all times

·        Don’t’ feel intimidated to join a clique but make a careful and balanced in your decisions

·        Understand who has the power and influence and do not allow this to intimidate you

·        Determine whether joining a clique will be beneficial or detrimental to your career and your organisation.

·        Do not engage in gossip with clique members. If a clique targets you -- if they taunt you or turn their backs on you or gossip about you – do your best not to react.

·        Act friendly towards a clique and its members—as you would any colleague.

·        Become a non-clique champion by demonstrating (walking the talk) inclusive attitudes and behaviours.