10 ways to tell if you work for an anxious organization

by Jeffrey A. Miller

February 28, 2008 —

Excerpted from The
Anxious Organization, 2nd Edition: Why Smart Companies Do Dumb Things by
Jeffrey A. Miller.

Is your company drowning in an ocean of anxiety? Consider the following questions:

1. Do people take sides with other people instead of taking stands on issues?
Do they form coalitions and/or cliques?

2. Do people assert their territory to the detriment of the organization as
a whole? Are feuding, back-stabbing, and turf wars a way of life?

3. Do work groups tend to come to rapid agreement, with very little discussion
or dissent?

4. Do particular individuals or departments tend to be blamed consistently
for organizational problems?

5. Is there a problem with disruptive employee turnover? Are people constantly
quitting due to job stress or dissatisfaction with the organization?

6. When conflicts and problems arise, are people exhorted to show more "team
spirit"?

7. Does leadership send out conflicting instructions and mixed messages? Are
organizational objectives contradictory or unclear?

8. Do people tend to avoid conflict by avoiding each other altogether? Do they
hide out in their offices or cubicles, neglect to return calls, etc.?

9. Is "improved communication" considered the solution to all problems
and conflicts rather than making decisions that are based on solid principles?

10. Is high productivity emphasized as the key to organizational well-being?
Do you get the feeling that people are overworked?

If your answer to most of these questions was an emphatic yes, you probably
are dealing with a level of anxiety that's too high to be healthy—for your
employees or for the company itself.

"Anxiety, like anything else in life, is best in moderation," says
Jeffrey Miller. "A small amount is natural and positive. If there were
no anxiety at all, no work would ever get done. But when the pendulum swings
too far in the other direction, all sorts of counterproductive things can happen.
Not only do employees get burned out, the organization tends to make a lot of
bad business decisions that threaten its long-term survival.

"If you work for an overly anxious organization, it may be a good idea
to seek a fresh point of view," he concludes. "Sometimes it only takes
one person to recognize the destructive cycle and break out of it. You could
end up greatly improving your company's profitability. In fact, you could end
up saving its life."

Related reading:

Six ways to manage anxiety in your organization

ITworld.com