The Working Week 68

Do you work in a sick organization? Is it sluggish, inefficient and gossip-ridden? Are you worn down by a culture of back-biting and blame? If this sounds familiar, what can you do about it?

This week, Wayne talks to Kathleen Paris, author of a new book, Staying Healthy in Sick Organizations, the Clover Practice™, which sets out to show you how to survive professionally and emotionally in work environments that are more likely to be sick than healthy.

It's Kathleen belief that even in a high-stress workplace, people can feel peaceful at the end of the day. And even in an organization that is managed on obsolete principles, people can maintain their integrity and honor.

How? That's where the three leaves of the clover come in. Tell the truth – even if it isn't convenient. Speak for yourself, and recognize the interconnections and interdependence that influence our success as well as our problems.

These principles are simple, but not easy to live. If peace of mind is the aim, we need to be truthful even when it's not convenient and even when we don't look too good. White lies even compromise our integrity and the degree to which others trust us. This doesn't mean we say everything that comes to mind. We don't have to share our opinions on everything. They are just our opinions, after all.

Talking to others about how things look from your perspective based on what you have heard and seen and experienced is a much better way to be heard than telling people they are uncooperative, clueless, unprofessional or incompetent. If you make it clear that you are speaking for yourself and are willing to entertain other views, you are more likely to be heard.

Remember, in any work situation, there are as many 'truths' as people in the room.

Interdependence is critical because our personal success at work depends on others in the same organization being successful. No one succeeds alone even if they think they do. Organizations aren't machines, they are living fabrics. What happens in one part of the organization affects many other parts of the organization. And when we wake up and see these connections more clearly, we can choose different behaviors which can ultimately mean less conflict and stress and more peace of mind for us

Finally, Kathleen says, while this works for most organizations, there are some that are so sick that they make those who work there ill. In which case, the only sensible option is to leave.

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