The last time we delivered workplace culture assessment results to a leadership team, it was not the first time they had received this feedback. It was the first time they had decided to do something about it. We are often in the position of asking, “Does it hurt enough yet?” when weighing a team’s readiness to fix what’s broken. Most teams prefer the pain they know to whatever they’re about to feel if they attempt any change. It’s easier to stay the same.

Think about the team within the team. Move from outer circle to inner circle of the organizational chart. Each layer has its own culture. Board of Directors, executive leadership, senior management, supervisors, front line – culture adapts at each level. Decision authority is exerted from the outside in. Yet repair often occurs from the inside out. The more isolated the team, the greater their ability to define their own vibe. Where do you live within the nest?

At the Team Clock Institute, we are fortunate to be in a position to observe the lifespan of many teams. There are up years and down years. Some teams achieve nirvana and unintentionally become complacent. Others get stuck in a rut and decide that the labor of repair is more painful than staying the same. Still others find a sustainable rhythm of continuous improvement and invest in the next generation. When we take a snapshot of the current state of the team, stories unfold that enable the data to make sense. No struggle – or growth – occurs without precipitants.

Adult maturity has little to do with chronological age. Under stress, it has more to do with coping skills. Face it, there are children with more effective coping skills than some grown-ups. So, what in the world happens when the stakes are high and teammates have divergent views. Some move into problem-solving mode while others throw tantrums. Some lean in while others withdraw. Either way, how we manage change under normal conditions has little predictive value when things are upside down.

There are two reasons behavior that undermines team and workplace culture gets tolerated. Most often, it’s because it has become normalized over time and woven into the fabric of day-to-day interactions. Sometimes, it’s because the actions that make the workplace cautious or unsafe are being executed by those in power where they can’t be challenged. It’s a form of bullying. Usually, these two sources of toxicity join so what is tolerated gets eventually sanctioned. It becomes okay to treat others poorly when it cascades down from above.

The period that follows upheaval is usually a time to regroup. Depending on the nature of the change, teams either recalibrate goals or focus their resources on healing. Which way the energy gets directed usually depends on whether the change was expected or unexpected – and whether the response was proactive or reactive.

Generational succession planning has left Baby Boomers with a conundrum. As the 60-somethings exit their leadership positions, they must decide how much guidance to provide the 40-somethings. These whippersnappers will likely own decision authority for the next two decades. Imagine the consequences in a family business where the heir doesn’t need to be qualified to get the job. Gulp.

The aroma is clear, but the source is a mystery. The frantic search begins the moment you smell something burning. Until the smoldering whatever is located, disaster looms. Imagine treating workplace culture with the same urgency. Some percentage, albeit small, of employees are actively disengaged. Often there is a lead toxin with a few lemmings doing that person’s dirty work. Everyone can smell the fire, but the odor has lingered so long that it has become normalized. What to do?

With over 300 posts since 2010, the Team Clock Institute ends 2022 with a curated “Greatest Hits” collection. Below are the most circulated blogs by category. Feel free to browse our archives at https://teamclock.com/articles/ for the articles that resonate with your team.

The end is the beginning. 12:00am lasts less than a second, as today becomes tomorrow and last year becomes this year. We’ll take stock in the accomplishments of the past and make promises for the future. The clock keeps turning.

After nearly five decades of ‘Forming-Storming-Norming-Performing’ theory, it’s time to throw out the recipe. Of course, the sequence makes sense. Your team comes together (you ‘form’). You experience some conflict (you ‘storm’). You set some ground rules (you ‘norm’). Amazing things happen (you ‘perform’). Because your team is populated by well-adjusted humans, everything goes as planned. Or it doesn’t.

Many workplaces struggle with the classic high performer who doesn’t play nice in the sandbox. His regularly committed sins are forgiven because his production exceeds his peers. While the leadership team is counting the money he brings in, he’s busy eroding the spirit of the workplace culture. It often starts with coworkers feeling sick to their stomachs after interactions with him and almost always ends with a recruitment/retention problem once word gets out that the team is broken.