[Excerpt from The Culture Question] If you have worked in an organization with more than a few people for long enough, you may have witnessed an office romance – or maybe you’ve been part of one yourself. Statistics vary, but a quick web search pulls up multiple sources suggesting that approximately 40 percent of workers have dated a coworker at some … Read More

[Excerpt from The Culture Question] Although we want to encourage relationships, we also want to actively discourage the formation of cliques in our workplaces. When cliques do form, leaders need to deal with them promptly and effectively. Cliques are exclusive groups of people who share common interests. They are surrounded by thick relational walls that are difficult to penetrate. Cliques … Read More

“Dream a dream, form a team.” This was the mantra at an organization where I used to work. Teams were the answer to every question: Have an idea? Form a team. Need to solve a problem? Form a team. Want to create an event? Form a team. Need to change the coffee filter? Form a team. Although I have great … Read More

Consider how many times you have approached a colleague and asked them how they are only to be met with the automatic response the vast majority of us have – the typical “Good,” or “Fine, thanks.” Sometimes these exchanges can leave us feeling as if something was left unsaid. Or our intuition may be tingling because we know their answers … Read More

[Excerpt from The Culture Question] Once we recognize the value of meaningful relationships at work, the question that follows is, “How do we create and maintain workplaces that foster camaraderie?” Quite simply, social connections at work are fostered in the same way that they are anywhere else – by people spending time together. To build strong relationships, we need time … Read More

We commit our time, energy, and talent to our workplaces. Therefore, work should be safe – both physically and psychologically. Remote work has presented new challenges to ensuring workplace psychological health. In-person connections and socializing by the “water cooler” now seem like luxuries. More than ever before, workplaces need to ensure remote teams have adequate psychological and social support. This means … Read More

Last year, I, Wendy, painted my deck. I was sure it would be a long and painful experience, and I was disheartened even before I began. On the first day, I painted for three hours before losing motivation and going for a walk. On the second day, I did the same. Before starting work on the morning of day three, … Read More

We all want a workplace where people are healthy, effective, productive, empowered, and motivated to do great work in support of their organization’s mission and shared values. However, what happens when you toss a pandemic into the mix? COVID-19 has created extraordinary circumstances as nations, communities, families, and individuals are experiencing enormous changes. These changes are playing out in real … Read More

[Excerpt from The Culture Question] When our children begin school, we anticipate that they will make friends, and we are sad for them if they don’t. When they become teenagers, we hope they will identify with healthy peer groups, and we worry about them if they fall in with the wrong crowd. When our parents grow elderly, we worry about … Read More

This past week I read an article by leadership scholar, Amy Edmondson, on learning behavior in work teams. It struck me as both simple and profound. Although it was written in 1999, it seems particularly relevant today. Edmondson’s research points out that most organizations are not adaptive in new situations – they simply wait for things to return to the … Read More