Fitting in at Work

Do you have a comfy or cliquey organizational culture?

Have you ever had the feeling that you were the only one wearing brown shoes at a black tie event? Do you feel like you’re the one person in the office your boss doesn’t like? Does it seem that you are not let in on the jokes or the conversations about last night’s program? As a manager, do you notice some team members not participating or contributing to your projects?

We have all had these uneasy feelings of rejection and ostracism in our lives, including at school, social events and work. Employers and managers must realize the effect these feelings make on the bottom line of your organization’s output. The perceptions or actual occurrences of ostracism can have a significant impact on your team’s ability to work together to achieve a specific goal. Psychologists have studied how humans are conditioned in nature to perceive even the slightest hint of such behavior as a defense mechanism in order to change or confront the behavior.

We no longer have to worry about maintaining our place in the cave society to survive; however, now we are concerned about our position in the organization as it relates to our superiors and colleagues. As a manager, it is very difficult to build and maintain cohesive teams, especially in a volatile economic environment. Work cliques that form at the expense of another employee compound this difficulty. Even the slightest off-hand or unintended comment can define how an employee perceives (real or imagined) his/her relationship with a manager or colleague.

The manager’s problem arises when the work output of the employee that experiences these feelings of rejection or exclusion is compromised. Employees may even resort to sabotage, inefficiency, passive/aggressive behavior, non-contribution or anger and resentment. The importance of recognizing these issues and defusing them quickly is vital to building a tolerant work environment.

It’s not realistic to curtail friendships or formation of groups, but it is realistic to set the tone and cultural tolerance for the company by example and policy. A manager can:

• Ensure that company behavior is sensitive to all multicultural groups and genders
• Write policies to reflect current labor laws
• Plan social events to be inclusive of all employees.
• Ensure every employee receives fair and equitable treatment, not matter their position in the company.

Remember, even the slightest perception of exclusion can result in an unhappy or anxious employee.

With the right examples and policies that are instigated by the leadership of an organization to the entire group, a company can do a great deal to ensure everyone feels a part of the team and continues to work towards the mutual goals set by management.

Please share your experiences with companies that either where proactive in creating a comfortable work environment or where negligent in addressing exclusion issues…