Effective Strategies For Surviving Culture Tax

A friend of mine brought up the question of dealing with organizational cultures where the process of getting things done is draining and demotivating. He refers to this as culture tax. I have seen many cases where misalignment of priorities, inadequate resources, complex organizational structures, lack of clear accountabilities, misguided values of the leaders and overwhelmed groups help create this culture tax.

If your work environment reminds you of one of the regions of Hades, read on and remember what doesn’t kill you will make you stronger. Otherwise, consider yourself one of the lucky ones, but file this blog away for later reference as your time might come.

Before I share my survival techniques for effectively sailing through rough waters while keeping sanity, it is quite important for you to do a personal assessment. Be honest and ask if the culture of your organization is right for you. If you do decide to stay, be clear on your motivation, purpose and goals.

If your challenge is dealing with jerks in the workplace then check out Bob Sutton’s blog as he has extensive information on the subject. Though I haven’t read his latest book, The No Asshole Rule: Building a Civilized Workplace and Surviving One That Isn’t, I have enjoyed listening to his interview on Standford’s Entrepreneurial Thought Leaders lecture series. Once you recognize and accept the negative styles of the people you are working with, you are no longer the victim. With that, you can focus and direct your energy on how to effectively achieve your goal.

Next, take your time and revisit your organization’s decision making process, key influencers and decisions makers. I previously touched on the decision making process and decision quality chain. Reflect on your objectives and how your circle of influence (The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey) helps/hinders the accomplishment of those objectives. As a side note, if you are a people manager, please find ways to isolate your team from all the politics and demotivational activities of your organization. You will be surprised how this will not only improve your team’s motivation, but also increase your productivity and effectiveness.

This exercise of understanding organizationally where you stand in regards to your objectives, recognizing how decisions are made and who the decision makers are will enable you to raise issues well. Here the goal is to translate your concerns and issues to purpose and objectives that others will not only relate to but also care about. Basically, look for ways to extend your circle of influence.

In addition, I recommend practicing the Zen discipline of emotional detachment. Unfortunately, this is often misinterpreted as not caring and being disengaged. However, emotional detachment merely directs you not to be attached to an outcome or to an expectation. This practice will help you objectively evaluate the situation and recognize new opportunities as they arrive. After all, when one door closes another will open, but only if you are listening.

Here are a few other tips that worked well for me in the past:

• Be a good observer, and focus on learning people’s styles: what motivates them, how they are influenced, how they listen and communicate, … And, adjust your style as needed.
• Be open to getting help, coaching and mentoring from others.
• Recognize and celebrate little accomplishments. This can be especially hard for high achievers, but especially important in situations where progress is slow to achieve.
• I can’t emphasize enough the importance of a healthy lifestyle, exercise and meditation for maintaining a positive attitude and outlook in life.

Keep on smiling. Remember, your smile is one thing that is under your control. And, please do share your experiences and survival techniques with us.

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