10 Signs You Probably Have a Culture Problem
You have fantasized about getting into an accident on the way to work just so you wouldn’t have to go there. This might seem a little ridiculous, but one Arizona man went so far as to stage his own kidnapping to skip out on work. If the idea of being hospitalized or tied up in the desert is more appealing to you than going to work, there is a culture problem.
People only ask questions if they have a way to do so anonymously. We get it, some topics are hard. Being able to ask them anonymously is super important and we wouldn’t suggest that this be removed in an organization, but if the ONLY questions you ever see surfaced to management are through an anonymous tool, there might be a problem.
Office jokes make you cringe and have punchlines that have to do with someone else’s body or are at the expense of another person. These jokes aren’t funny, they just aren’t. If these jokes are the norm, people are uncomfortable even if they aren’t saying anything.
Someone told you that you have a culture problem. If you’ve actually heard these words, your first instinct might be to dismiss them. Don’t. It took some bravery for that person to tell you there is a problem and you need to address it.
People are texting other people in the same meeting about the meeting they are in. If people feel like they can’t actually say what is on their mind in the meeting that they are IN, that’s a sign that your culture needs some work.
Your culture norms are routinely weaponized. One company we worked with had adopted the approach of “radical candor”. They intended that everyone would feel free to provide honest feedback. Unfortunately, the phrase “in the spirit of radical candor…” started to be associated with bullying and feedback that was not truthful, kind or necessary (our favorite filter for thinking about feedback).
Burnout is a regular topic of conversation. One manager said that burnout was such a serious problem for his team that he sent a message to HR asking for help. They responded with some articles on meditation. His response: “I’ve never wanted to punch a computer screen so hard in my life.” If burnout is a problem and is not being addressed, it will infect your culture.
On Fridays everyone comments on how many hours are left before the weekend. OR “Happy Friday!”s true meaning translates as “how many hours left until I leave soulsucking awful place?” Yes, everyone loves the weekend, but if the chatter at work is focused on enduring the remaining hours of the workweek, you might have a culture problem.
Your manager has never asked you how you are and you never ask how anyone else is doing. We get that work isn’t therapy and not everything needs to be shared, but if no one is checking in each other ever, that might be a warning sign.
Good people are leaving en masse. This is the most obvious warning sign. These folks may or may not share their opinion of the culture in an exit interview, but a workplace with a good culture has higher retention rates (there’s a lot of science to back that up). If good people are exiting on a regular basis, you should check in on your culture.
If any of these resonated with you, there is hope. Culture is a fixable problem. You can check out our amazing book recommendations or give us a call, we’d love to do a free consultation with you to figure out how we can help or just point you in the direction of helpful tools.