Recently an employer’s attorney contacted us looking for workplace training for her client. She described what she called “longstanding” workplace issues and stated she was looking for a training program to resolve them.
As I explained that training likely isn’t the answer to solving a longstanding problem, she said she was offended that I would suggest that. Ultimately, she went and found herself a trainer who would deliver upon exactly what she was ordering up for her client.
While I wish that trainer well, I just can’t fathom that longstanding problems are solved over a two-hour workshop. Understanding root causes and the way in which the organization facilitates those problems is going to be key information for true resolution. And Civility Partners just doesn’t offer performative services.
You know a lawyer wouldn’t file a motion without understanding the full legal situation. An architect wouldn’t start construction before evaluating the site and reviewing the plans. A mechanic wouldn’t replace an engine simply because a customer said the car made a strange noise.
Yet here this attorney had defined the problem, decided she knew the solution, and started shopping for that very solution. She was even offended when we suggested her solution might not be the right one.
This is an example of the gatekeeper’s actions derailing meaningful workplace change before it even begins.
What Culture Gatekeepers Get Wrong About Change
Gatekeepers want to help. They care about the organization, they want to resolve conflict, and they want employees to have a positive experience at work.
The issue isn’t their intent. The issue is that they often approach workplace culture from the perspective of their own expertise. And it’s hard to help them see that they may be a little off because, well, they’re experts in their own areas of expertise.
Here are three ways culture gatekeepers unintentionally sabotage meaningful workplace change:
1. They Prescribe Solutions Before Understanding the Real Problem
Many times, an internal or external gatekeeper decides the organization needs coaching, training, or a new policy before anyone gathers meaningful information about what’s actually happening.
Imagine walking into a doctor’s office and saying, “I need knee surgery.” Most doctors wouldn’t immediately schedule the procedure. They would ask questions, run tests, and determine the best course of action.
Workplace culture deserves the same level of investigation.
The best way to begin improving your workplace culture is with a survey that gives you the data needed to make strategic, informed decisions. Our climate assessment identifies both strengths and opportunities in the five areas we know drive your workforce’s perceptions of culture and that can create risk of liability or turnover if not addressed: internal communication, employee engagement, trust and collaboration between peers, departments, and leaders, job satisfaction, and inclusion and psychological safety.
Without a proper assessment, organizations risk solving the wrong problem entirely. It’s throwing spaghetti at the wall.
2. They Mistake Activity for Progress
Culture gatekeepers often feel pressure to demonstrate action quickly. As a result, organizations launch initiatives that look productive on paper but create little measurable change in practice.
Employees attend workshops, and leaders hold meetings and town halls. Everyone stays busy, yet six months later, employees report the same frustrations, the same tensions, and the same concerns.
In our recent example, the attorney and her client likely feel some relief that the training is over and the “longstanding problem is finally resolved.” Give it a few months to a few years, and the problems will surely resurface.
Real progress shows up in behavior, relationships, decision-making, and employee experience. Not in the number of initiatives an organization launches or how people feel about them.
3. They Overestimate Their Expertise
This may sound harsh, but it’s true. People often assume that because they work in HR, legal, operations, or leadership, they automatically understand organizational culture.
They don’t.
Culture and how to change it effectively and successfully is a specialized field. It involves understanding human behavior, organizational systems, leadership dynamics, accountability structures, psychological safety, change management and a host of other areas.
Expertise matters because culture problems are rarely as simple as they appear.
The Best Culture Leaders Start with Curiosity
The most successful culture transformations begin with a simple mindset: curiosity.
Questions like these – and so, so many more – are important:
- How did we get here?
- What people are involved and what role did they play?
- What is the organization doing or not doing that facilitated this problem?
- What could we have done differently in the past?
- What do we need to do differently in the future?
- How will we know our changes stick? How will we measure success?
Curiosity creates space for discovery. It allows leaders to gather data before making decisions, and it encourages experts to do what experts are supposed to do: evaluate the situation, identify root causes, and recommend solutions based on evidence.
Culture problems are expensive to solve, but solving the wrong culture problem or using the wrong solution is even more so.
So, if you’re ready to move beyond assumptions and start making informed decisions backed by real data, schedule a time to talk with our expert.
Our team has helped organizations across industries diagnose complex culture challenges and build healthier, more productive workplaces. We encourage you to review some of our case studies here.
Sincerely,
Catherine & The Civility Partners Team
