Beware the Cosy Club

When harmony becomes the cornerstone of an organisation's culture, it might seem like a positive environment. However, an overemphasis on harmony can undermine good leadership, decision-making, action, and progress. In what might be described as the ‘Cosy Club,’ many decisions are treated as optional or negotiable, leading to a culture where even critical commitments are in play. In this environment, "yes" doesn't mean "yes," and "no" doesn't mean "no."

In these soft yes and no cultures, directives and policies often sound more like suggestions. Leaders and team members, feeling empowered to operate autonomously, pick and choose which decisions to follow. While this might foster a sense of trust and empowerment, it ultimately results in a lack of alignment, repeated problems, and an inability to execute plans effectively.

The consequences are significant. Senior leaders find it challenging to get everyone moving in the same direction. Reluctance to lean into the tension, hold accountability and confront non-compliance has created this very monster. This inaction undermines execution and long-term performance. 

If you have ever experienced such a culture, the ill effects are all too familiar. Decisions and policies that never get fully implemented lead to frustration and stagnation. Eventually people disengage.

For sure these conversations are difficult but that's the function of leadership. Fortunately these skills can be learned and good leaders make a point of developing the ‘soft skills’ necessary to navigate boundaries and tension. It turns out soft skills are required for the hardest of work!

It's crucial to hold a boundary against this tendency. You need to avoid the perception that decisions, policies, and agreed ways of working are optional. Leaders and team members need to hold each other accountable and commit to organisational alignment for their own good, the team’s good, and the greater good.

In an effort to foster engagement and inclusivity, the current common practice is to adopt a consensus-based approach to decision-making. Good leaders recognise the importance of bringing people along with a decision and allowing team members to influence outcomes. Consensus can drive collaboration and improve teamwork, but it also has its pitfalls.

In some organisations, the pursuit of consensus can strangle progress. Including too many stakeholders and gathering endless opinions which leads to decision paralysis. Weeks pass, and with so many varied views, finding common ground becomes nearly impossible. The result is more talk and no action, missed opportunities, and frustrated team members.

However, this doesn't have to be the case. You can avoid the pitfalls of endless consensus with a few simple rules. First, appoint a Decision-Maker for every major decision. This person plays a crucial role in breaking the logjam when consensus can't be reached. Set a reasonable deadline for consensus, and if it isn't achieved, the Decision-Maker steps in to make the call. Ironically, this is usually appreciated by those caught in the logjam.

This approach has multiple benefits. Knowing a decision will be made by a specific date creates urgency and discourages low functioning behaviour. It ensures that decisions get made and acted upon, preventing a bad process from holding the organisation hostage.

By the way, this is how pyramids beat ladders in organisation structure. High performing leadership teams need to get comfortable with where power sits, particularly around decision making. This is one of the benefits of hierarchy, and nature has been running this model for aeons!

As the famous quote goes; "In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing, the next best thing is the wrong thing, and the worst thing you can do is nothing." Harmony should never compromise decision making and action. By designating a Decision-Maker, organisations can ensure that even in a collaborative environment, decisions get made, and progress continues.