Overview:
While NICE Culture may sound like a good thing, it’s actually quite problematic. Standing for “not interested to care enough,” NICE Culture emphasizes being nice and getting along, but no one speaks their mind out of worry of offending others. Without authenticity and transparency, the quality of work and relationships begins to suffer. Politeness is great except when it comes at the cost of results.
Weaknesses:
- Insincere relationships
A team whose relationships rely on this sort of surface-level fake-nice behavior will never be fully functional. It often leads to saying yes in public and doing the opposite. - Ineffective management
If nice culture extends to management, which it often does, there is a lowered standard for what is considered acceptable. Feedback and candid discussions don’t happen resulting in substandard work. - Resentment
When true thoughts and opinions get buried, the problematic circumstances remain the same and resentment starts to build up. - Exclusion
Resentment builds up and requires an outlet, so co-workers will often begin teaming up into sub-groups and venting about other colleagues behind closed doors. It makes it even more difficult to build an inclusive culture where all feel like they belong. - Lowered Performance
When company culture is suffering, so too is your bottom line. If the hard conversations are not being had, then the standard for a job well done is constantly being lowered.
Tips for Improvement:
- (Officially) assess your culture
Partner with an external firm (we’re happy to help!) to assess the state of your current culture to uncover the systems, behaviors, rituals and norms that may be undermining your aspirational culture and business success. - Investigate coaching
Culture change is about shifting mindsets and behaviors and coaching is an effective way to help your people explore new techniques, observe actions and outcomes, and integrate learning into work practices. - Engage your employees
Hosting facilitated workshops are a great, interactive way to engage your team through the process of developing a more positive culture. This level of engagement is a key component, because it is up to each and every individual to uphold the new culture values. - Encourage healthy feedback and dialogue
Invite your team to make a habit of asking for constructive feedback. Start by offering self reflective feedback and just listen when people share. This will open the door for otherwise unspoken ideas, thus creating a more well-rounded environment and outcome. - Value transparency
The cause of nice culture comes down to, for the most part, a lack of transparency. If your organization declares complete transparency as a top value, and insists on team members upholding that value through their words and actions, the nice problem will likely go away.