by Chris Banescu –
A common characteristic of all dysfunctional organizations is the systematic abandonment and eventual suppression of the truth, and its substitution with half-truths, distortions, and lies. Once truth no longer supports and validates everything that happens in a company, management’s ability to understand what is really going on, take corrective action, and make the right decisions is compromised.
Executives gradually lose touch with their employees and their customers. Poor decision-making becomes rampant. Trust erodes and problems engulf the company. If this decay is not reversed, then the dysfunctional organization degenerates into a toxic workplace. Problem solvers are ignored, truth seekers are discouraged, and truth speakers are silenced. Management inevitably loses touch with reality and pretends things are fine when they’re actually getting worse. More disasters inevitably follow as employee morale rapidly declines and employee disengagement spikes.
Denial of reality and avoidance of truth frequently become routine in dysfunctional and toxic organizations, at multiple levels, especially the highest ones where executives congregate. Highly paid, safe in their positions, and secure in their ivory towers, these senior managers could care less about their subordinates below. Executive are too busy looking out for themselves and preoccupied with maximizing their own compensation. They can’t be bothered with the objective reality of what’s happening with their organizations, products or services, and customers. They’re not interested in how this negatively affects the long-term success of their enterprises and the well-being of the other human beings who work there.
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There are several warning signs that truth is becoming extinct in an organization. It’s noticeable when executives disregard the growing disconnect between the corporate slogan and the real culture of the company. It’s confirmed when top-level managers progressively ignore problem solvers and silence truth speakers.
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Excerpts from Chapter 12 Pursue Your Freedom and Happiness: Break Free From Dysfunctional Organizations. Invest in Yourself. Build Long-Term Success. (Available as a Paperback or in eBook format.)
(Photo credit Pixabay)
