Avoiding a “Base Camp” Culture
I am fortunate to have as one of my long-time best friends my college roommate from the dorms at Ball State University.
My birthday was a few weeks back, and being the good friend he is, he asked if he could take me out to dinner. In making our plans, he explained his car was in the shop and his wife would be dropping him off at work that day. He asked if I would pick him up from work and head to dinner from there.
As he walked toward my car, he said goodbye to his colleagues. With each farewell, they raised their fists in solidarity and shouted across the parking lot, “Base Camp!”
I had to know…
What the heck is Base Camp?
When I asked he laughed and said, “Joel, no one dies at Base Camp.”
He explained that this was a philosophy he and his colleagues had developed and had learned to follow at their current employer:
Anytime there was a special project, an ask to lead a new endeavor, or an opportunity to challenge or suggest something different, they just didn’t do it anymore.
“Joel, early in my career here I did all the things,” he continued.
“I volunteered, I spoke up, I challenged higher-ups and their ideas, I tried new and different things. But what I and my colleagues learned is that there is very little upside here to taking on more responsibility or challenging the status quo, and conversely, it often only led to more work, getting criticized, punished, or for some even fired.”
Anytime there was a special project, an ask to lead a new endeavor, or an opportunity to challenge or suggest something different, they just didn’t do it anymore.
Basically, my friend’s organization has created a culture of playing it safe, adherence, and fear – so much so, that employees had developed the mantra among them of “Base Camp.”
As leaders, we need to be conscious of the culture we are continually shaping.
If we want a culture that encourages our teams and leaders to challenge and grow, we need to create the environment that supports this.
We need to ask ourselves:
- What is the upside for someone to take on this project?
- How will I make sure my team feels rewarded and recognized for going above and beyond?
- How will I invite or even reward team members for challenging me and my ideas?
If we are seeking a culture of innovation, growth, and progress, we need to reinforce this message in everything we do. If we do not, team members will often default to playing it safe, and will rarely if ever leave Base Camp to explore the mountain of opportunities around them and within them.
This organization has created a culture of playing it safe that employees called “base camp.”
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If you want to build a thriving, vibrant work culture that goes beyond playing it safe, the ATLAS framework from ADVISA is the perfect place to start. Learn about all five “A.T.L.A.S.” drivers of cultural competitive advantage, and even see how your organization is doing today!