Upholding a good company culture contributes to a company’s image, growth, and productivity. Imbibing the “we are a family” dynamic into the workplace can be good and a drawdown. If you’ve ever been in such a work environment, you’d understand how much harm a “we are a family” dynamic can do compared to good.
It gives employees the impression of being loved and valued by their employer; it fosters a more relaxed and happy work environment. However, the family-like relationship between employer-employee and employee-employee might breed ground for lackadaisical attitude toward:
- Work
- Cover-up for laziness/incompetency,
- Leniency in punishment or warnings
- Unnecessary work demand from employers since “we’re family”
However, the idea might have been birthed from a place of no harm, but it should be done away with to increase a company’s productivity and build competent employees in the workplace. Read on to understand it’s unnecessary to incorporate the “we are a family” dynamic into the workplace.
UNDEFINED WORK BOUNDARIES
There is a higher demand for products and services in the present-day workplace, so increased work competency and delivery must be increased. The “we are a family” dynamic drops employees’ urge to deliver, and workplace respect and hierarchy will slowly fade.
This may begin with the guise of working from home, just for flexibility in the workplace. Then followed by replacing the regular 9 to 5 workday with loose rules that are unrealistic for the amount of work needed. Therefore, it makes the company culture without boundaries and unprofessional.
JOB ENTITLEMENT
Work families are often used to denote a friendly and cooperative workplace. An employee is not obligated to work with a company for life, just as a family is for life.
Families are unconditional, but a workplace is a professional setting where certain behaviors or cultures can’t be condoned. Family can tolerate so much that a business mustn’t if productivity must be achieved.
DENTED AND UNHEALTHY COMPANY CULTURE
Business should remain business at all times. Incorporating such a dynamic will leave employees emotional and used when fired or not showered with accolades since family should not criticize but show love always.
It is crucial to appreciate and encourage employees but try to keep personal things personal to achieve a desirable level of professionalism in the workplace. Always try to work as a team instead of as a family; teamwork makes the team work after all.
IMBALANCED WORK-POWER
Working together distributes power around the table, but dynamic power is either to the employee or the employer. In the family, parents make the decisions while kids follow. This isn’t healthy as there won’t be opportunities for new ideas from employees to flow towards company development.
A work environment where employees can’t stand up for themselves but must go along with their superiors will soon drain their morale and overall attitude towards work.
On the other hand, because employees add value to a firm and have considerable influence at work, it might foster a relaxed mentality and overconfidence, which can harm a business.
UNHEALTHY SENSE OF LOYALTY
With the “we are a family” dynamic, employees/employers will develop closeness and loyalty towards each other. This will encourage unethical behaviors such as late coming, deter employees from speaking out against corrupt coworkers/employers, and maximize wrongdoings and immorality in the workplace.
INCREASES EMPLOYEE TURNOVER
A company under the “family” umbrella emphasizes building common behaviors instead of embracing individual personalities and views, which will only result in more turnovers because it discourages self-expression and accommodates negligent behavior.
Cases of burnout will be rampant in a “family” company setting when the workload increases. No employee would be able to tolerate this for long.
HOW A WORKPLACE CULTURE SHOULD BE
Workplace culture must not be full of favoritism, loose language, and a lazy attitude to work. Workplace cultures should strive to commend employees’ ability to meet standards and be professional and ethical.
How do you achieve this?
- Have an employee handbook stating codes of ethics and conduct that holds management and workers accountable and the repercussions of breaking the code.
- Embraced feedback irrespective of position in the workplace.
- Pay bonuses fairly and equally according to the position of employees in the company.
Therefore, endeavor to work as a team and contribute meaningfully to ensure company growth.
Contact Information:
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 6024139544
Bio:
Mike Owens is a 55 year old recruiter who specializes in helping recent university graduates kickstart their careers in the business and sales fields. After finding success as a team manager himself, Mike has made it his mission to help other young professionals find their own path to success.
Mike got his start fresh off the campus of Kansas State University, where he developed a passion for mentoring and coaching others. He quickly rose through the ranks in the business world, earning numerous awards and accolades for his leadership skills and ability to drive results.
After years of managing successful teams, Mike decided to pivot his focus to helping others achieve their own goals. As a recruiter, he has developed a strong network of contacts in the business and sales fields, which he leverages to help match his clients with the right opportunities.
Mike is known for his dedication to his clients and his ability to help them navigate the often-overwhelming job market. He takes a personalized approach to recruiting, taking the time to get to know each candidate and understand their unique strengths and career aspirations.
Outside of work, Mike enjoys spending time with his family and staying active. He is an avid golfer and enjoys traveling to different courses around the country. He is also involved in several charitable organizations in his community.
