Wondering if There's Dysfunction in your Org?
Here's who to ask
Organizational dysfunction is hard on everyone. It slows us down. It drags morale down. It makes us miss goals. It confuses us. It frustrates us. It puts us on edge. It creates a place where no one wants to be.
Dysfunction often starts as friction. It’s a common feature of organizational life. It happens as a natural course of doing business, as the company changes shape — as people leave, new functions arise, and the needs of the business evolve. It often increases when times are tough and we’re moving fast. While friction is normal and sometimes even good, we want to avoid a system that’s broken and damaging for its inhabitants. Malfunctioning systems also create obstacles to making progress and meeting objectives. No one wants to work in a dysfunctional system so why do they happen?
Dysfunction arises when we’re not looking. The key is having mechanisms for spotting organizational friction that’s morphing into dysfunction. One tool I’ve shared is org smells — signs that something is awry. You can read about some of those signs here and here. That method relies on observing patterns.
Today I want to share another way of understanding the state of your org. It’s a powerful and more direct method but one that’s often overlooked. If you try it, I promise you’ll uncover important information.
Want to know if there’s dysfunction and if so, where it is?
Ask your marketing leader, operations leader, or your most senior IC engineer in charge of infrastructure.
Why? These folks’ roles are cross-functional by nature. Their work requires them to work with a variety of people, entities, and processes across the system. They feel the pains of organizational dysfunction sooner and more acutely than others.
While anyone can feel the pain of a broken system, I’ve found these folks to be the most reliable indicators. (People roles also experience organizational dysfunction firsthand but may not have the power to resolve it.)
If you’re wondering how your system is doing, look to your marketing leader, operations leader, or most senior IC engineer in charge of infrastructure. These are your proverbial canaries in the coal mine. These folks will be able to pinpoint the inflection points and help you gauge how entrenched the problems are.
By the way, if they seem overly stressed, it might be an indication something is amiss. We might see them as irritable, emotional, or even difficult. Too often we write the frustrations of these folks off as an individual problem. Before dismissing their concerns, investigate. Go talk to them. Ask them what they see. Listen to what they have to say. Look for patterns. You’re likely to uncover hidden problems at the system level. They’ll provide you with new insights and point you in the direction of where the biggest organizational knots lie.
When you do that, you’ll have a much better chance of understanding the root causes. Bringing these hidden icebergs of dysfunction to the surface means a chance to resolve them. Improved morale and results are almost sure to follow.
A version of this edition originally appeared on LinkedIn. Follow me over there for more short posts like this.