Divorce, Corporate Style

An article in Sunday's New York Times discussed the many and varied behaviors cited as cause for divorce in the U.K. The 'malicious and repeated serving of tuna casserole' was one. Insisting that a wife dress as a Klingon and speak in Klingon was another.

Let's be clear: In many places tuna casserole itself is a capital offense. Serving it maliciously and repeatedly is a crime of such unthinkably heinous proportions that divorce is just the first logical outcome. Banishment from civilization is no doubt the next. (Not to worry, Mom. You never served it maliciously. Repeatedly, yes. Maliciously, no.) The Klingon thing, on the other hand, actually seems reasonable. Unless, of course, the wife was of Romulan descent. Then we're talking trouble.

Tuna casserole and the Klingon empire not withstanding, our interest in divorce this week is not specific to the matters of the heart in personal relationships, but instead in the matters of the heart between an individual and her or his employer. We know all too well that for the vast majority of us a strong, emotional bond is created with the company in which we work. It's not unlike love, though HR folks typically refer to it as 'commitment'. This bond, this love if you will, can be an intense one, causing us to commit enormous energy and passion to our company. It causes us to do things we wouldn't consider doing under other circumstances. Like working late into the night, coming in on weekends, seeking creative solutions to the most nagging problems, obsessing about ways to make our work perfect.

And not because we're told to act this way. Because we want to. Because we care. Because we love what we do and love for whom we do it.

This is the stuff money can't buy. Too bad, then, that a company would do anything to jeopardize this bond, much less do things that might break it. Because once broken, the next step is Divorce, corporate style: The departure of often terrific talent.

This week, let's focus on those in the Tuna Casserole category:

Isolating and/or alienating those with a 'different' leadership style. This is a particularly insidious form of conformity-seeking behavior that squelches creativity, limits individual differences (so much for diversity), and undermines performance. We've seen this happen to inspired individuals, often in the mid-management ranks, who have achieved outstanding performance through their people -- precisely how we define 'leadership'. We can spend hours bemoaning the need for conformity at work or why conformity becomes mandatory. (Think difficult economic times.) Suffice it to say that when conformity is mandated -- especially when it hadn't been mandated before -- passion and commitment are damaged. Divorce, corporate style, often follows. Because who wants to stay in a relationship where freedom and creativity are constrained?

Tightening of the approval process. Another common outcome of a challenging economic climate, and one occurring in many organizations, is the dreaded tightening of the approval process. And when we say 'approval process', we're talking about anything requiring money: Travel, new equipment (even when it's essential to the job), and, among others, hiring. Not that limiting spending is inappropriate, mind you. It's the reduction of authority that accompanies approval tightening that's the culprit. Because when one's authority is reduced -- or perceived to be reduced -- the natural reaction is to wonder if trust from above is also diminishing. And when trust is thought to erode, you're in for trouble. Or more accurately: Divorce, corporate style. Especially among those who you can least afford to lose: Your most committed, passionate, talented staff.

Our strong suggestion: Avoid both of these practices at all costs. They'll suck the passion right out of your best people. They'll undermine performance. They'll quell the commitment, the love. And the result will be the eventual departure of top talent. Divorce, corporate style. It's like serving tuna casserole maliciously, only worse.