Leaders Blame Culture When Performance Dips; What They Should Examine Instead

When a company's performance falters, leaders frequently point to the organizational culture as the primary cause. This approach, while common, is often a misdiagnosis, according to an analysis published by Entrepreneur. Blaming "culture" is seen as a safe strategy because it is general enough to encompass many issues and vague enough to avoid pinning responsibility on any single individual.

In reality, performance problems often originate from the leaders' own actions and decisions, which they may overlook. Jana Boone, SVP of growth enablement at Intero Digital, highlights that executives can become disconnected from the day-to-day work, leading them to miss their own impact on productivity. Instead of defaulting to cultural critiques, leaders should critically assess their own conduct and interactions with their teams.

To uncover the root causes of underperformance, leaders are advised to directly ask their employees about their experiences with the work, its pace, and the overall environment. It's crucial to listen attentively to these responses without immediate defensiveness or explanations. Furthermore, gaining a comprehensive understanding involves soliciting feedback from supervisors, peers, and direct reports regarding one's strengths and weaknesses.

The article references Boeing's situation, where regulators cited a culture prioritizing production over safety. However, the specific failures were traced back to leadership decisions concerning what was rewarded, overlooked, or approved without proper safety checks. The piece urges leaders to identify and name such specific decisions within their own organizations rather than settling for broad cultural indictments.

Ultimately, the analysis suggests that leaders should reward employees who raise problems early, even before solutions are formulated. This fosters open communication and enables quicker identification and resolution of issues before they escalate.