Company - A "Family"?

Have you been part of organizations, that use phrases like - "Welcome to the Family" OR "We are a family"? I wonder where this originated from, and if it is still relevant today, especially in the context of investor-led cultures and topline consideration. With thousands of employees being laid off every week, many overnight via emails, isn't it time that we reframe the family illusion existing in our organizations?

To set the answer straight, I believe -?A Company Is Not A Family. Period! The primary focus of a company is to maximize profits, while the primary focus of a family is to provide a supportive and nurturing environment for its members. A family is a group of people who love and support each other, while a company is a group of people who love and support profits. One's filled with hugs and home-cooked meals, the other's filled with spreadsheets and strategic planning. It's like comparing apples to briefcases, they don’t look similar, and they definitely serve different purposes. It is unclear where the metaphor really started. Maybe it was a strong paternalistic power-need by a business patriarch, or the desire of a boss to create a culture of compassion , just “like a family”. And then maybe this verbiage gradually changed from “We are like a family” to the current “We are family”.?

It's good to remember that while a company can provide a supportive and positive work environment, it's not the same as having close personal relationships with family and friends. Of course (for the optimists), there could be exceptions when a great colleague ends up becoming a bestie, but it is exactly that…an exception.

With the current mayhem caused by lay-offs , there are bloody questions about how a so and so organization was heartless enough to throw people out of their jobs. ?Employees who worked many years for an organization and contributed to its success, questioned whether their loyalty was really worth it. Emotions apart, I believe it is not really about loyalty, but knowing that employment is just a contract and can be terminated by either parties, at any time by providing for what is contractually obligated.

Employees need to understand that just like they can leave an organization with a one week notice to pursue greener pastures of higher income generating opportunities, so also can organizations let go off the employees, for a greener balance sheet.

It has been extremely unsettling for employees who have not planned for a precarious situation like this. So, the key is to actually plan, and be better prepared. The organization is "hiring" us and not "adopting" us. Therefore, having a mind-set of eternity is simply na?ve. ?A useful tool that I find handy is FUSE , which is about :

• Financial Planning – Invest early, have your personal health insurance and build an emergency fund.
• Up-skilling ?- Take on new projects, hire a coach, get mentors, subscribe to a learning program.
• Side hustle –?teach , assist some one, build a product ( moonlighting or not, depending upon your work context!)
• Emotional well-being – Take vacations, enjoy weekends, switch off from work once back home.

For organizational and human resources ?leaders, it is time to become more deliberate about what culture they create and commit to employees. ?They need to seriously invest in creating real bond and alignment within the teams that drive sustainable results, including profits. Just saying “ We are family” may not be sufficient to build this bond. We need to go beyond distributing happiness and engagement, and start investing in building real skills and alignment within the teams. A more appropriate metaphor for organizations is to think of themselves as a pro sports team. Think "IPL"! In a nutshell - this is what they would have-

• A Strategic Direction or team purpose that everyone is clear about.
• Well-Defined Roles and Expectations so that people know what they’re expected to do and how they contribute to the higher goal.
• Fit for Purpose Players -?Members are in the team as long as they are required or as long as they want to be a part of it.?
• Commonly Understood Ground Rules on how the team members will behave with each other and with other teams.

In the future of work (which has already emerged today), successful organizations and employees will need to increasingly operate as franchise and players rather than being stuck in a parent-child mind-set.

For more insights do hear this #NotATedTalk by AiyyoShraddha. I found it brilliant!