Q: Our corporate culture is such that some of our employees hang out together after work. Lately, I've noticed that a few of the employees tend to follow their own cliques in the office, even on job-related projects, leaving out hard workers who prefer not to socialize frequently outside the office. As their manager, how can I best address the situation?

A: Interesting problem but it's framed in a way that I have some doubt as to whose issue this really is. First, before I directly address your question, let's talk about culture. My definition of a company's culture is a compilation of the unwritten rules, norms and behaviors that everyone has tacitly agreed to but are rarely, if ever stated. We, as good corporate citizens, aren't given the rules on our first day but are shaped by them as our time with a company grows. Once we get a sense of the accepted norms, we start to shape the behavior of others by reinforcing the acceptable norms and discouraging the behaviors associated with that which is unacceptable "here." I believe culture is a collection of both good (behaviors that move the organization and the business forward) and bad (behaviors that keep the organization and the business in a form of stasis, which in effect is regressive). We, as human beings, are also creatures of habits so we tend to reinforce acceptable norms that eventually lead toward stasis. So how do you break this cycle? Surface and discuss your culture, define and talk about your values, norms and behaviors. Decide which ones help and which ones hinder. Ultimately I believe in the old adage, "the business of business is business." Culture should be in service of this premise; if not, the company will turn inward and lose touch with the marketplace. The culture, as defined as "our traditions," may well be out of sync with an ever-changing world.

So was that explanation of culture sufficiently dense? If not, please read on because I want to give the questioner a little grief. Going back to the question, I would ask for clarification on the term hard worker. While I respect a hard worker, I don't necessarily know what that means or looks like behaviorally. It doesn't necessarily mean skilled or competent, it simply implies it is someone who works hard, whatever hard happens to be. I may or may not want this person on my team. There are other characteristics and factors necessary to make sure a team functions well on any project, such as appropriate skills, clear roles, responsibilities, a clear goal, adequate resources, familiarity with each other and trust, to name but a few. So, as a manager who might be worried about the quiet outliers, be clear about what really worries you before you address the matter of project team selection. I am of the school that the skills required to make the project successful come first, next are the structural components of the project team, and finally, the level of trust and respect among the people with whom I am working. That discussion has resonance for me. But, if you lead with one of those sandbagging questions, such as "why didn't you include so and so on the team because he or she is a hard worker," you put your people on the defensive and frankly, won't make much of a case for how a high performing team should be constructed in the future. Rather, you are creating an environment whereby people start to guess what you want instead of focusing on what is really driving the work successfully completing the project. I should clarify that sandbagging questions are those questions to which you have already formed an answer or opinion. You set them up and pounce upon the person when he or she answers "incorrectly." My advice, state what you know and what your concerns are up front.

Before you rush to defend the introverts among us (myself included), start with defining the characteristics of highly effective teams and then after you gain agreement around this, devise a plan moving forward that might include ways of developing trust that doesn't have you policing people outside of the office. If socializing is a norm within your organization, then maybe that should be a behavior that is screened for in the interviewing process. Finally, if success in your culture involves some level of informal socializing, talk to the quiet ones, tell them the unwritten rules. If it is an impediment to their potential success, they have a right to know. e

Do you have a workplace question you want answered? What do you want to know to make work a better place? Send your questions to DeSantisCP(at)aol.com to get Chris DeSantis' two cents as to what he thinks you might want to do.

Chris DeSantis uses his 20 years experience in training and development as an independent consultant. He specializes in the design and delivery of management and organization development interventions. A presenter at Leading Edge Alliance seminars, DeSantis focuses his work on assisting individuals or groups in identifying obstacles to effectiveness and subsequently works with them to create user friendly solutions aligned with the company's strategic initiatives. He earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Notre Dame, an MBA from the University of Denver and an MA in organizational development from Loyola University.