Patrick Lencioni's book, The Advantage, is about the importance of organizational health and effectiveness. I highly recommend it if you are charged with shaping an organization.

Lencioni points out that when morale drops in an environment, it has more to do with a lack health than it does with having a bad or wrong team. This makes sense if you give it some thought. After all, every person on your team was chosen by you, and once held promise, passion, and high energy. If not, you might want to reevaluate your recruiting skills. (Click here for help on selecting the right people for your team)

However, assuming you did attract the right team, what happens when the honeymoon is over, the fun wears off, and the results begin to fade?

Lencioni gives us more than a clue when he writes, "People who work in unhealthy organizations eventually come to see work as drudgery. They view success as being unlikely or, even worse, out of their control. This leads to a diminished sense of hope and lower self-esteem, which leaks beyond the walls of  the companies where they work, into their families where it often contributes to deep personal problems, the effects of which may be felt for years. This is nothing short of a tragedy, and a completely avoidable one."

Wow! A lot is riding on your ability to create a great environment where your team can thrive.

Don’t let tragedy happen on your watch. It is completely avoidable. But only if you become a catalyst for organizational health.

i2i,

Randy

What is the most important thing a leader can do to create organizational health?