Employees on the Fence

I was recently at a client speaking with the owner and the Marketing Manager.  We have been restructuring the company to position it for growth.

The company had a number of homegrown managers and supervisors and a toxic culture had accumulated over a number of years.  Most of the employees kept their heads down to avoid conflict which resulted in a stultifying stagnation.

I drew them this picture to depict the process we are going through.  We are changing the balance of power.

When a company is not achieving its potential, you often find that certain individuals are invested in a status quo of their own creation.  They make departmental policies and accumulate power to exert control, often, to the detriment of the company as a whole.

The majority of the employees see it for what it is.  They know they and the company are suffering as a result.

Breaking down undue influence is a fight for the soul of a company.  Changing the balance of power by creating desire amongst fence sitters to want to participate in the creation of something better is crucial to making positive change.

We are making progress at resolving the issues and employees are stepping up.  This company has the potential to grow and be a great place to work.  It is an honor to be part of their future.

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