We have been conditioned to think that “a few bad apples spoil the barrel,” meaning a few bad individuals are responsible for bad behaviors. However, it is far more likely that bad barrels, in the forms of destructive and dysfunctional cultures, are spoiling otherwise good apples. In other words, we have good people who are exposed to bad cultures who are then making choices to continue those patterns.
Each of us spends more time at work than doing anywhere else, except in our beds sleeping each night. The quality of our relationships in our workplaces, therefore, has an enormous impact on the quality of our lives.
On top of that, these types of toxic behaviors not only inhibit people from performing at their best, it also has real, tangible impacts on their physical health. If we want to get the best out of people, we have to first look for the best inside of them and invest in the quality of our relationships with each and every one of them.
How can managers create teams that engage their employees and empower them to perform at the highest levels?
Patrick Lencioni, author of the classic leadership fable, "The Five Dysfunctions of a Team," has developed a formula for not only diagnosing the obstacles that inhibit organizational performance, but also providing the strategies that will propel teams to perform at the highest levels.
"Recognition is about improving performance and focuses on what is good for the company. Appreciation emphasizes what is good for the company and good for the person (which may sometimes mean helping them find a position that is better for them than their current role," (Chapman & White, p. 20).
Recognition is about the value of a person’s behavior, but appreciation is about the value of the person.
In their book, "The 5 Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace," Gary Chapman and Paul White articulate that each of us has our own primary and secondary languages of appreciation. When others communicate our value through our primary or secondary languages, we feel valued. When those types of messages are repeatedly sent outside of our primary and secondary languages, we will not feel valued.
By focusing on the benefits for a few people who are in positions of power, finite-minded practices can have significant negative impacts on trust, collaboration, and creativity, as well as performance and productivity in the long term.
The choice to lead with an infinite mindset, however, demonstrates a commitment to taking care of the organization’s people and focusing on the organization’s vision for the future.
