“Correct the culture, and you’ll correct the outcome.” – Terry Mante
You cannot stop a leaky roof by shouting at the rain. However, this is often how some managers and business leaders operate—they complain about low productivity, tardiness, and a lack of responsibility among employees without acknowledging their part in fostering the same environment they criticize.
Indeed, employee misconduct exists. However, inadequate leadership is equally widespread—and frequently the underlying issue. For Ghanaian institutions aiming for improved workplace conduct and efficiency, the shift needs to start with those in charge.
Peter Drucker, a renowned management consultant, once remarked, “Culture devours strategy during breakfast.” Regardless of how much planning, objectives, or sophisticated business strategies you have in place, they won’t be effective if the organizational culture is unhealthy, disoriented, or indifferent.
Establish definite objectives and remain consistent with them.
Staff members do not thrive when expectations are ambiguous. Often, employees fail to meet their potential not due to a lack of motivation, but because they have difficulty grasping what constitutes top performance. This is often exacerbated by nebulous instructions, absent key performance indicators, and fluctuating goals from week to week.
Managers need to establish clear, quantifiable, and time-limited objectives for every position. Each team member ought to understand precisely what constitutes success — as well as the method of tracking progress toward it.
What matters most is that leaders follow through on their commitments. Constantly shifting expectations or applying rules inconsistently among team members can lead to confusion and hostility. For maximizing productivity, clear and consistent guidelines are essential.
Reward excellence, not familiarity
In numerous companies, advancements and benefits are linked to allegiance rather than performance outcomes.
Friendship, kinship ties, and old school connections frequently hold greater importance than measurable accomplishments.
This culture not only disheartens top-performing employees but also imparts throughout the organization that outcomes aren’t significant. Cease promoting your “boys.” Begin promoting those who deliver results.
Leaders must break this toxic norm. They must publicly recognize, reward, and promote competence.
Regardless of whether it’s through wage increases, merit-based incentives, or recognition in front of their peers, individuals must feel that dedication and creativity are genuinely appreciated. When staff members are convinced that effort leads to rewards, they will be motivated to excel.
Enforce consequences every time
Discipline isn’t about yelling during conferences or criticizing at evaluations; it’s about maintaining consistent repercussions. When tardiness escapes unaddressed, it turns into a routine practice. Ignoring subpar performance transforms it into an accepted norm. Should absences go unchecked, more individuals will likely emulate this behavior.
Managers should recognize that policies devoid of repercussions merely amount to recommendations. It is enforcement that imbues these guidelines with authority.
The best leaders aren’t always autocratic, yet they remain steadfast. They articulate the guidelines unambiguously and take action whenever these norms are breached, irrespective of the individual involved.
Lead by example
No single thing undermines discipline as quickly as hypocrisy. You cannot expect others to be punctual if you habitually arrive late yourself. It’s impossible to advocate for excellence while accepting your own mediocrity. Similarly, fostering a reading culture becomes futile if even your leadership rarely touches a book.
In every office environment, the strongest influence on employee conduct stems from the actions of senior leadership. It falls upon managers to exemplify the values they wish to see in their staff members: punctuality, responsibility, concentration, courtesy, and ongoing education. The vitality and atmosphere within an organization largely originate with its management. When supervisors act without diligence, this carelessness can permeate throughout the entire workforce.
Invest in your people
You can’t reap what you haven’t planted. Numerous employees are not meeting expectations primarily due to inadequate training or empowerment. As roles continue to change, their abilities remain static. Errors persist without anyone guiding them through these challenges.
Rather than lamenting inefficiencies, leaders ought to allocate resources towards training initiatives, seminars, consistent evaluations, and mentorship sessions. Staff members who perceive themselves as acknowledged, understood, and nurtured tend to evolve into the type of reliable workforce all organizations desire: motivated, competent, and steadfast.
Reducing training budgets during difficult periods is shortsighted. Actually, it’s precisely in such challenging times that training becomes even more essential.
Create a culture focused on outcomes rather than justifications.
Hard work matters, yet in the corporate arena, outcomes are paramount. Numerous groups commend individuals solely for their efforts rather than their achievements. The phrase “at least they made an attempt” turns into a token of compassion as milestones get missed and clients depart disappointedly.
Leadership needs to change emphasis from exertion to implementation. This does not imply disregarding difficulties; rather, it involves fostering an approach centered around finding solutions.
Weekly meetings ought to shift their focus from discussing why things did not get accomplished to highlighting what has been completed, what actions will follow, and strategies for removing obstacles. Strive to make excellence the norm rather than an uncommon occurrence. There should be no comfort in settling for mediocrity.
Hire better, fire faster
Let’s face it — some people just don’t want to grow. They undermine team energy, resist feedback, and dodge accountability. Yet managers keep them because “he’s been here for years” or “we don’t want drama.” This is dangerous. One toxic or underperforming staff member can erode the morale of five others.
When an individual continually falls short of expectations despite receiving assistance, guidance, and education, it may be necessary to part ways with them. This isn’t being cruel; rather, it’s fulfilling one’s duty. Effective leadership involves safeguarding the organization’s values and objectives.
Conversely, the recruitment process ought to move away from emphasizing formal credentials towards evaluating an individual’s character, attitude, and willingness to learn. While skills can indeed be instilled, qualities such as honesty and dependability cannot be cultivated through training.
The harsh reality: Leadership shapes the culture
When the team lacks discipline, examine the leadership role. Should workers appear uninterested, assess how the management approach influences their engagement. If tasks only get completed when managers raise their voices, this indicates systemic issues—not merely an issue with personnel. Addressing underperforming staff members isn’t about increasing volume; rather, it involves improving managerial practices. This means establishing proper conduct norms, developing organizational processes, and upholding consistent benchmarks.
Fix the culture, and you’ll fix the output. Leaders must understand that they are not just overseeing tasks — they are building culture.
A results-driven culture. A respectful culture. A high-performance culture. No motivational posters or slogans will fix low productivity if the work culture is toxic or undisciplined. You don’t fix lazy employees by shouting louder — you fix them by leading better.
——Bottom of Form
About the author
Terry Mante
acts as a thought leader through his roles as an author, corporate trainer, management consultant, and public speaker, offering challenges and inspirations aimed at enhancing organizational value and improving individual effectiveness. As the Chief Consultant for Terry Mante Exchange (TMX), he engages with audiences across various platforms including LinkedIn, Facebook, X, Instagram, Threads, and TikTok under the handle @terrymante.
www.terrymante.org
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