Recently hydraulic fracturing -- commonly called fracking -- has been in the news. In simplest terms, fracking involves injecting water and sand at very high pressure into minor faults in the earth, which in turn creates fissures underground that provide space for natural gas to flow (and be captured for use).
It struck me that organizations have parallels to the fracking process. Often things are done that create pressure which lead to fissures in the organizational culture. Comments are allowed to fester and disputes go unresolved until they explode. Decisions to leave someone(s) out of the discussion due to expediency can be done with the best of intentions, but can have ripple effects that create cracks in the climate and trust. Stressful situations such as mergers, layoffs or rapid growth can create pressurized environments that cause the culture to crack. Once the cracks are made and fissures are created, the negative energy and rumors have space to flow.
The pros and cons to hydraulic fracking can be debated, but having an active organizational underground is rarely a good thing. How can you take steps to release the pressures before they cause cracks in your values and customs?
-- beth triplett
leadershipdots.blogspot.com
@leadershipdots
leadershipdots@gmail.com
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