Company Clans: Why Do They Form and How to Fight Them?
29 November 2010
Read by 2128 persons
Personal affinities, compatible temperaments, shared interests, or power struggles often lead to the formation of clans within a company. This phenomenon can exist at all levels of a company.
Don't hesitate to get rid of a clan leader if the situation threatens to escalate.
Because a company is a social body, it's normal for groups to form, sometimes very naturally. Some colleagues continue their day after work, have lunch together, unite around the same ideas because they share the same interests or come from the same region, the same school, the same neighborhood... "Groups form based on interests, objectives. Very often, this rests on natural affinities that bring together people of the same age, sharing common cultural references, or even allying for a determined purpose. And, inevitably, mechanisms of alliance or rejection can be put in place within the company," explains psychologist Mohcine Benzakour. A priori, nothing abnormal that could hinder the smooth running of the company. But this is not always the case. It can happen, indeed, that the alliance goes beyond the simple pleasure of meeting up between friends. The "clanish" attitude is seen when one deliberately excludes one or more colleagues or when there are attempts to destabilize a manager or a colleague who is perceived as an obstacle to the group's interests.
This kind of opposition is nothing more than a power struggle, a near-permanent situation in the company at all hierarchical levels. At the top of the ladder, a boss who wants to consolidate his power relies on a small number of collaborators who, in return, benefit from his benevolence, particularly for promotions, bonuses, and other advantages. Such a situation is often imposed due to performance constraints. This is how we often see a newly appointed manager arrive with his "team", his clan. He is asked to prove himself very quickly. He can only rely on people he already knows, especially if they have given him satisfaction in another environment. "There is nothing wrong with the criterion of belonging being taken into account when choosing collaborators, especially since compatibility of temperament, an important factor in cementing working relationships, is one of the characteristic traits of the clan," justifies Abderrahmane Mokhtari, director of HR, budget, and general affairs at the Ministry of Employment. It's difficult to talk about a clan in this case unless the interest of the small group is favored over that of the company. In any case, rejection is never ruled out for a question of legitimacy. Old-timers rarely accept having their "place" taken by newcomers. From there, two clans are inevitably created.
Managers vying for a boss's succession or wishing to strengthen their influence also play this game by surrounding themselves with devoted collaborators.
A little lower in the hierarchy, clans are often created by a person or a small group, initially to defend their own interests, by trying to unite the resentments of others against the superior, for example. Some will join these kinds of groups not because they share the same point of view or seek protection, but for fear of being singled out or being treated as weak or cowardly. Nevertheless, it happens that the reasons for such a grouping are objective. When there is no listening, when promotion is done at the whim of the client, or when a lack of recognition is felt, it is quite normal for a kind of rebellion to organize. Those who feel victimized stick together to make themselves better heard. This form of clanism quickly dissipates if appropriate responses are provided.
The clan can also emerge within the same department due to, for example, incompatibility of temperament or rivalry between two people. A department can also turn into a clan against others. The resulting simmering conflicts are detrimental to the company. Withholding information, systematically opposing the ideas of others, subtly refusing to collaborate... everything is good to destabilize the other party.
Being strict about respecting the rules and values of the company
In all cases, it is above all when management is deficient that the phenomenon of clans takes hold in a company. To remedy this, Aziz Taib, HR director of a large industrial company, advises prioritizing a win-win relationship. "The search for compromise, concession, and collaboration are not weaknesses but rather mature and responsible attitudes. They are rather signs of intelligence," he specifies. It's a question of learning to set an example through conciliatory gestures. Indeed, just like the followers of clans, there will always be people within the company who are against conflict and in favor of consensus. This is the attitude that the manager must encourage!
Moreover, "it is a matter of remaining neutral and rational towards collaborators, and always upholding the common and general interest of the company," adds Mr. Taib. But, at the same time, one must have the capacity to be strict about respecting the rules and values of the company. Thus, as soon as a manager has sufficiently convincing evidence to verify the existence of a tendency towards clanism, he must have the courage to separate the individuals, and ultimately to neutralize, in one way or another, the head of the clan. One should not hesitate to go so far as to separate oneself from this person: it is a health measure that can have positive, even life-saving effects. Let us not forget that conflict management is one of the main tasks of a boss. According to human resources specialists, on average 30% of a manager's time is devoted to resolving interpersonal disputes.
Published on November 15, 2010
Posted online on November 29, 2010
lavieeco.com
Don't hesitate to get rid of a clan leader if the situation threatens to escalate.
Because a company is a social body, it's normal for groups to form, sometimes very naturally. Some colleagues continue their day after work, have lunch together, unite around the same ideas because they share the same interests or come from the same region, the same school, the same neighborhood... "Groups form based on interests, objectives. Very often, this rests on natural affinities that bring together people of the same age, sharing common cultural references, or even allying for a determined purpose. And, inevitably, mechanisms of alliance or rejection can be put in place within the company," explains psychologist Mohcine Benzakour. A priori, nothing abnormal that could hinder the smooth running of the company. But this is not always the case. It can happen, indeed, that the alliance goes beyond the simple pleasure of meeting up between friends. The "clanish" attitude is seen when one deliberately excludes one or more colleagues or when there are attempts to destabilize a manager or a colleague who is perceived as an obstacle to the group's interests.
This kind of opposition is nothing more than a power struggle, a near-permanent situation in the company at all hierarchical levels. At the top of the ladder, a boss who wants to consolidate his power relies on a small number of collaborators who, in return, benefit from his benevolence, particularly for promotions, bonuses, and other advantages. Such a situation is often imposed due to performance constraints. This is how we often see a newly appointed manager arrive with his "team", his clan. He is asked to prove himself very quickly. He can only rely on people he already knows, especially if they have given him satisfaction in another environment. "There is nothing wrong with the criterion of belonging being taken into account when choosing collaborators, especially since compatibility of temperament, an important factor in cementing working relationships, is one of the characteristic traits of the clan," justifies Abderrahmane Mokhtari, director of HR, budget, and general affairs at the Ministry of Employment. It's difficult to talk about a clan in this case unless the interest of the small group is favored over that of the company. In any case, rejection is never ruled out for a question of legitimacy. Old-timers rarely accept having their "place" taken by newcomers. From there, two clans are inevitably created.
Managers vying for a boss's succession or wishing to strengthen their influence also play this game by surrounding themselves with devoted collaborators.
A little lower in the hierarchy, clans are often created by a person or a small group, initially to defend their own interests, by trying to unite the resentments of others against the superior, for example. Some will join these kinds of groups not because they share the same point of view or seek protection, but for fear of being singled out or being treated as weak or cowardly. Nevertheless, it happens that the reasons for such a grouping are objective. When there is no listening, when promotion is done at the whim of the client, or when a lack of recognition is felt, it is quite normal for a kind of rebellion to organize. Those who feel victimized stick together to make themselves better heard. This form of clanism quickly dissipates if appropriate responses are provided.
The clan can also emerge within the same department due to, for example, incompatibility of temperament or rivalry between two people. A department can also turn into a clan against others. The resulting simmering conflicts are detrimental to the company. Withholding information, systematically opposing the ideas of others, subtly refusing to collaborate... everything is good to destabilize the other party.
Being strict about respecting the rules and values of the company
In all cases, it is above all when management is deficient that the phenomenon of clans takes hold in a company. To remedy this, Aziz Taib, HR director of a large industrial company, advises prioritizing a win-win relationship. "The search for compromise, concession, and collaboration are not weaknesses but rather mature and responsible attitudes. They are rather signs of intelligence," he specifies. It's a question of learning to set an example through conciliatory gestures. Indeed, just like the followers of clans, there will always be people within the company who are against conflict and in favor of consensus. This is the attitude that the manager must encourage!
Moreover, "it is a matter of remaining neutral and rational towards collaborators, and always upholding the common and general interest of the company," adds Mr. Taib. But, at the same time, one must have the capacity to be strict about respecting the rules and values of the company. Thus, as soon as a manager has sufficiently convincing evidence to verify the existence of a tendency towards clanism, he must have the courage to separate the individuals, and ultimately to neutralize, in one way or another, the head of the clan. One should not hesitate to go so far as to separate oneself from this person: it is a health measure that can have positive, even life-saving effects. Let us not forget that conflict management is one of the main tasks of a boss. According to human resources specialists, on average 30% of a manager's time is devoted to resolving interpersonal disputes.
Published on November 15, 2010
Posted online on November 29, 2010
lavieeco.com
