5 ways intrapreneurs and change agents can thrive inside toxic organizations
Suppose your team is thriving and in good shape, maybe doing better than before the pandemic, but the rest of your organization has serious problems
This is a follow-up to my post: 25 Ways Most Leadership Is Bad.
Suppose your team is thriving and in good shape, maybe doing better than before the pandemic. The rest of your organization has serious problems, the biggest being that the leaders don’t see any problems.
I recently talked to someone who faces this situation, and I realized that this was me in the last few years before I left my last company. In fact, I’ve often been in this situation for much of my career.
I remember a meeting with one of our teams, and someone said we were a “bubble.” Everyone else nodded in agreement. Being in a bubble felt good because we did great work and had strong relationships. However, they also felt vulnerable (and we were)!
Bubbles exist within organizations
They’re high-performing teams
Produce excellent, even breakthrough, results
Have a strong positive culture
Employees are listened to and supported
Bubbles are, by definition, fragile. They can be crushed by the organization. Others don’t like what the bubble represents, so they try to kill it.
Bubbles can also burst from the inside due to conflict. Plus, teams are always changing as people come and go, putting the bubble at risk.
Leading a bubble is hard on the team leader. You can hear the whispers, sometimes yelled loudly. You feel pressure to conform, pressure to revert to the mean. ”Why is Team X different?” ”Why do they get to do that when we can’t?”
It’s stressful!
My advice: Don’t Give in to the Pressure:
Protect the Bubble — Try to keep it intact. Nurture it. Support it. Continue and build on the practices that helped build the bubble in the first place.
Stay Out of the Fray — You may feel like keeping your head down and staying out of the fray. That’s actually a good idea and may be essential to survival for you and the bubble. Do good, innovative work, and consciously decide when it’s a good time to share your results more broadly.
Connections — Identify and connect with other bubble leaders. Share ideas, resources, mutual aid –- connection. While staying out of the fray, you can help others with common interests and mindsets, and they can help you.
Coaching — Consider retaining a coach who’s been through this before and who can help you think about the options. I’ve found it helpful to have a sounding board, someone I can talk through ideas with and who can help me identify and navigate around my blind spots.
Leave — You’re a change agent who has to create change. So far, I’ve offered advice on doing the minimum to support your team, protect the bubble, and move forward. If that’s just not enough, you may want to change your work location to one more aligned with your capabilities and desire for impact.
In short, focus on your team. Make them better, stronger, and safer. When you run into roadblocks, find another way to keep innovating. Produce great results. You’ll be modeling the change you wish to see in your organization.
At the same time, be conscious of your environment and “Don’t hope yourself to death.”
Leave a comment below if you have questions or want to know more about these ideas.
There’s a lot more to tell.