How Healthy is Your Organization?

Apathy in organizations is like an infection in the body. It can start off very small and depending on where it begins, be very hard to detect. There may be very few symptoms initially but unless it is diagnosed and treated, it can spread to other organs, and make the organization very, very sick. Apathy is worse than overt negativity, as it brings with it, cynicism and build quietly. “Why should I try, nothing ever changes.” Team members lose more than their effort or motivation, they lose hope. This can occur at any level of the team.

Apathy stems from a deficit in two areas of leadership or culture. One is the lack of psychological safety. The other is a lack of accountability. Psychological safety means that I feel safe to be myself and I know that my voice and opinion are valued, even if they are not agreed with. I know that my honesty will be rewarded and not punished, even if I am speaking truth to power. Accountability is about having clear expectations and goals and being held accountable for my part in attaining those goals. It requires transparency. It is not about blame or finding fault when things go wrong. It is about transparency and the knowledge that if I need help, it is okay to ask and that when mistakes happen, we will do what we can to learn from those mistakes and not be punished for making them.

Apathy is a sign that the organization needs treatment for this sickness. The leader must start this treatment with radical transparency and vulnerability, to set an example of healthy culture. The leader must demand the same transparency from their leadership and management teams. System wide communication is vital. When this is successful, the organization often emerges stronger, and more capable than before and the leadership is able to see the signs of apathy earlier and intervene more quickly. How healthy is your organization, your team? Are there any signs of apathy? If so, how might you deal with this. Make sure you are not infected yourself.