How does your workplace operate? Chaotic, Conflict, Coercion, Collusion, Compromise or Consensus

Observing the shenanigans on Pennsylvania Avenue, and attempting to understand the sociopathic, narcissistic and panglossian public behaviour of a supposed-leader, has led to a contemplative focus on how things are done in different enterprises, be they large or small, in a developed or developing market or a service, manufacturing, not-for-profit or government organisation. Reviewing cultural differences reinforces the universal nature of the human condition, be it a workplace, family or other form of tribal activity.

We have known enterprise-owners, CEOs and MDs who bully and create chaos or conflict to keep people anxious and we have also known divisional and departmental heads who manage their people through coercion, manipulation and internal organizational-politics, only supporting those who support them in a replica of feudal patronage and collusion.

We have also known those who lead and manage through a series of inclusive processes and activities where generative and reflective listening leads to a stimulating sense of belonging for people employed at an enterprise; such a consensus-led approach ensures engagement, empowerment and getting the best out of the people who have a sense of purpose.

I was recently reminded of the story of President Kennedy visiting NASA and asking a janitor what he did at the organisation. He replied he was doing his bit to get a man on the moon; talk about understanding the purpose of the enterprise. No doubt he did an amazing cleaning job for NASA.

Pondering on these extremes of leading, from those creating chaos or encouraging a conflict and coercion driven approach to those who take the time to communicate purpose and gain agreement and consensus for future activity, has led to the development of the following linear way of describing cultures in the workplace: Chaotic, Conflict, Coercion, Collusion, Compromise, Consensus.

Understanding the look and feel of these six descriptive cultural-models will help us build a prescriptive model which will aid in instigating corrective actions, helping us move our cultures in more positive directions. As we all know, happier staff do much more to drive the enterprise and most people are happier when they recognise they are being listened to and being included in how things are done; consensus-driven leadership.

Those of us who have worked for bullies demanding ‘people do as they are told’ know what it is to operate in a Chaotic-Culture. Only the narcissist believes the command and control approach works. This is a chimera where direction does not exist, delivers no sense of purpose and lacks consistent leadership or management ensuring little actually gets done; think today’s White House under the current chaotic regime.

Perhaps the most obvious traits of a conflict-driven culture are hostility with on-going verbal fighting and serious, damaging arguments; less chaos but much more fighting. Disagreements and disputes leading to quarrels and dissensions with prolonged soldiering and struggling against the enterprise by employees typifies a conflict-focused culture where harmful confrontation due to incompatible opinions are central to most activities and processes.

Conflict-Cultures are encouraged by narcissistic, sociopathic and panglossian bosses who thrive on clashes or friction, and who believe it is better to divide and rule than it is to encourage and engage with employees; does this describe your workplace?

Perhaps your workplace is less extreme but there are still practices and actions where pushing someone to do something by using force or threats is the order of the day; a way of doing things which could be described as Coercion-Culture. Oppression, harassment, compulsion and manipulation are the key leadership tools to coerce people to a particular way of operating and there are many owners, CEOs, MDs and department heads who enforce, intimidate and arm-twist to get their way.

Without constraints, bosses in Coercion-Cultures demand, insist and lay-on the pressure; sound familiar?

When political power is more obvious but conflict and coercion are less prevalent, with different groups vying for control through secretive cooperation, Collusion-Culture can be typified as a series of conspiracies in order to deceive others, benefit members of a particular cabal without putting all employees or the enterprise first. A culture where personal benefit comes from political intrigue tends to exhibit non-ethical and often illegal activity where people scheme and plot to gain power; think about Nero and his intrigue-powered time as emperor and imagine him fiddling while Rome burnt. Is your workplace powered by schemers and internal politics where values are lacking and activity works to the detriment of the enterprise’s purpose, vision and mission?

Perhaps you are fortunate enough to be in an organisation where there are regular attempts to find lowest common denominators for the sake of agreement. Such a Compromise-Culture at least exhibits people listening to each other but decisions are based on reductions in demands to find solutions. There will be obvious slippage of personal-moral and enterprise-ethical standards and principles will weaken; there will not a sense of coming-together, more a sad recognition of mediocrity as everyone is ‘racing to the bottom’ to keep the peace.

If however you work in an aligned organisation, where people, teams, departments, divisions and the company overall manage and make decisions through generative dialogue following harmonious reflection and generation of new ideas. If this describes your workplace then you are working in a Consensus-Culture. Creating such synergy and concord out of conflicting opinions, where people are engaged, feel empowered and are ‘doing their bit to put a man on the moon’, has to be one of the toughest yet most rewarding leadership tasks, needing constant attention and being watchful for any changes in the way things are done.

If we accept these descriptions of culture, then the next step is to uncover ways to introduce change or transformation to move how things are done to create congruence where alignment and synergy are seen to be the way to stimulate sustainable futures for our enterprises.

Working alongside experts who can aid concord, unison, acting in concert and unity, where group-decisions and new ideas are embraced, will aid in creating a Consensus-Culture. Do you want your workplace to have a sustainable future and be a happier place for employees where an ethical approach is embraced and all share in the organisation’s purpose?