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Management and Human Resources
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The "Red Zone" OrganizationHow to turn a defensive workplace into a “Green Zone” of success and satisfaction by Jim Tamm, author of
Radical Collaboration
Your workplace may be a “Red Zone”—an environment where turf is guarded and defensiveness abounds. Red Zone organizations are made up of individuals who are short on “Green Zone” qualities such as trust, optimism, and goodwill. When a project fizzles or fails in a Red Zone workplace, people turn to shame and blame—focusing not on what went wrong, but on who did wrong. No fun To stand a chance of keeping their stars, Red Zone organizations often dangle carrots such as bigger-and-better pay, perks, or bennies. Still, productivity and morale suffer because Red Zone attitudes fog the corporate culture. Greener pastures Sure, Green Zone qualities can’t save a company that makes lousy products or
offers crummy customer service. Yet, studies show when all else is equal, Green
Zone organizations enjoy long-term profitability and growth, while their Red
Zone counterparts suffer in all areas. Some companies even Changing colors—and cultures Collaboration isn’t magic. It’s a mind-set and a skill-set—both of which can be learned—that can make a big difference to a company’s bottom line. A fifteen-year initiative teaching collaborative skills in highly adversarial Red Zone organizations reveals five essential skills for building successful collaborative environments: • Think win-win. Foster a nondefensive attitude among employees, and reward people who care about others’ interests and needs as much as their own. Mutual success is the hallmark of positive, long-term relationships—and living and working in the Green Zone. • Speak the truth. Dishonesty poisons the workplace. If you’re serious about changing your corporate culture, you must speak—and vow to listen to—the truth. Green Zoners are open, honest, and “out there” with their intentions, observations, and feelings—and they receive the same candor in return. They’re also excellent listeners—behavior you must model if you want others to follow suit. • Be accountable. There’s no room for shame or blame in the Green Zone. Promote a culture in which people take responsibility for their performance and their relationships. Encourage everyone to choose to change what’s not working. And recognize employees who focus on solutions. • Be self-aware—and aware of others. Work hard to understand your thoughts, feelings, emotions, intentions, and behaviors—and work just as hard to understand those around you. Create an environment where people feel free to ask what’s up when they don’t “get” someone else’s attitude or behavior. • Learn from conflict. All relationships bump up against conflict once
in a while—especially when deadlines and other pressures loom. The key is to use
the conflict to learn and grow. Focus on understanding everyone’s underlying
interests, then seek mutually beneficial solutions. When you hit a wall, take a
time-out, consider what’s going on with you and those around you, and then start
over. Copyright 2005 James W. Tamm. All rights reserved. Order Radical Collaboration from Amazon.com Jim Tamm, a workplace expert specializing in building collaborative work environments, is co-author of Radical Collaboration (HarperBusiness). Contact him at www.radicalcollaboration.com.
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