It’s Like That in All Businesses

I’ve been talking teams and communication a lot with clients lately. Having discussions which relate to understanding those people we work with. Understanding why others do what they do and it isn’t always to annoy us. Sometimes people have no idea of the impact of their behaviours on others.

A comment I do hear a lot, when discussing teams, their differences and issues, is ‘it’s like that in all businesses’, or ‘there’s always problems in the workplace’ or ‘that’s just how it is’. Depending on how I’m feeling at the time, sometimes I want to scream ‘NO, IT DOESN’T HAVE TO BE THAT WAY’.

I am an idealist, I admit. I do see how things could be rather than how they are. The reality is you don’t have to have a workplace that is not quite there. People dragging themselves through the front door only because they have to be there. It doesn’t have to be that way. Let’s be frank. Some of us worked in organisations we absolutely loved not only because of the work we were doing but also because of the people we worked with. It can happen!

It does take effort. It won’t happen overnight. It takes commitment. This is possibly where it falls over for many people. It is easier to accept things as they are than work on making it better or heaven forbid creating a place where people want to work.

Leadership obviously plays a major part. If the ‘leader’ of the organisation is not committed to making the effort and doing the hard yards to create an environment which is a great place to work, why should anyone else make the effort? Why should anyone care?

‘The power of one, if fearless and focused, is formidable, but the power of many working together is better.’
– Gloria Macapagal Arroyo

This doesn’t only relate to business. It relates to any time a group of people come together. How committed are you to making your business its unique best?