We have seen companies describe their workforce as a family. But did you know this could be hidden under a toxic and manipulative company culture? Let’s tell you why!
We spend most of our waking hours at work around our co-workers. They mesh into our emotional support, career goals, and friendship. Thus, it only makes sense that the company culture starts to resemble that of a family context. You will notice that so many family traits start developing in the workplace, such as caring, respect, and having a sense of belonging.
You have probably experienced the family company culture by now. It starts from wanting to overstretch yourself in the office to deliver the company goals. With time, it develops to not asking for a pay rise because of the comfort that family provides. I am sure you can now pick out some of the toxicity the family company culture brings.
How does a family company culture work?
The word family is used in the workplace as a metaphor for the team. It gives the employees a feeling that they are prioritized over everything else. This makes them feel loyal and selfless to the company and its goals. It sounds great on the surface level but it may not. For example, if the company wants you to work overtime without pay, you will do it because of your loyalty. In the end, you are the one who will get hurt mentally, physically, or financially.
Working as a team vs working as a family
1. Expectations and performance
If I worked for any of my parents, I'd get away with not having to be my best since I know that they will always involve me no matter what. In a family environment, you are loved and always included even if you are not good at what you do. The family will always welcome you and make you feel like your little contribution is enough. On the other hand, a team in the workplace has higher expectations for all its members. Even though the members may feel a sense of care for each other, they still know that they need to provide their level best for the team.
Imagine how hurtful and inconsiderate it would be to tell your parent or child they have to be good at something to be considered a family member. They would be devastated. Thus, introducing a family company culture will make it hard for you to communicate negative feedback.
You will always belong to your family, even if you are a liability. On the other hand, in an organization, the harsh truth is that not everyone belongs, and those that do have to work extra hard to retain their position. Insisting on the family company culture will affect the performance of the employees and reduce expectations.
2. Discipline and consequences
In a family setting, you don’t have to pull your weight. All you have to do is belong. This mindset makes it hard to enforce a disciplinary action or have difficult conversations. It becomes hard to separate emotion from business. Adding emotions to the work setting affects the growth of the team. A coaching moment or performance review will come off as a stab in the back rather than a chance to turn lemons into lemonade.
For example, a couple of years back, we had an intern who joined our team and tried to create a family company culture in the workplace. Well, it backfired and blew up in her face eventually. She became uncoachable and took everything personally. Every teaching moment turned into a heated emotional argument that ended in tears or a dramatic walk away (Cue Craig David’s I’m walking away ). As I write this, I can confirm that she did not make it through her two (2) months of internship probation.
A team company culture resembles that of a football team. If you miss workouts, demotivate your teammates on the field, and skip practice, you’ll get kicked out of the group. There are consequences for low performance.
Effects of a family company culture on employees
Having a family company culture sounds like a good idea if managed well. It can be the rise or downfall of the company. Below are some of the effects of an unstable family company culture on employees.
1. Lack of boundaries
You must understand that not everyone is comfortable with connecting with their co-workers on a personal level. It creates dependency and blurs the lines between the professional and personal lives of the employees. A family company culture makes it okay for co-workers to air their dirty linen in the workplace. The emotional attachment can even cause employees to feel entitled to an employee's personal life.
2. Harmful loyalty
Have you ever worked with that one employee who goes through hell and high water to meet the expectations of their job? They clock out of work and continue working from home late into the night. Chances are that after some time, they start developing exhaustion and burnout.
Family company culture gives a sense of selflessness. Exaggerated loyalty makes employees more likely to get exploited by their employers and engage in unethical acts to keep their jobs. This results in an employee working unreasonable hours or keeping unethical things under the wraps because the workplace is a family.
3. Unfair power dynamic
The family dynamic creates a one-sided relationship where the employer becomes the parent; while the employees become the children. The dynamic can make employees feel disempowered because employees will have to follow orders rather than make a contribution. Therefore, it becomes hard for them to stand up for themselves and take on work outside their comfort zone.
Conclusion
A lot of baggage comes with calling your work team a family. It is okay to care about your workmates, but you have to set boundaries for a functional workplace. Create a team-based company culture by defining high performance, focusing on purpose, setting boundaries, and accepting the temporary and professional nature of the relationship. Have you ever experienced the toxicity of a family company culture? Tell us your experience in the comments below.
