We all know what it looks and feels like when someone is unhelpful at work: blocking access to data, being really slow to approve something, a heap of questions about the most benign thing, a sorry can’t help when resource crunch hits the team. It’s all part of the work-about-work tax, which eats up a shocking 60% of modern work.
The real question is—what causes this, why are people not more helpful to each other, and how do we fix it?
The extraordinary power of identity
Let’s look at one big root cause, and one that is feasible for any organisation to flip from curse to blessing: shared identity.
First, a quick story. We’re off to northern England, where in 2005, researchers led by Mark Levine invited Manchester United football fans to the University of Lancaster. Once there, they did activities reinforcing their identity as Man U supporters—how much they loved the club, how great it was to be a fan.
Then, as they walked to another building, they saw a young man run ahead, trip, and clutch his ankle in pain. Would they stop to help?
Nine out of ten did—if he wore a Man U jersey. Their identity as fans was front of mind, and they instinctively helped a fellow Red Devil.
But when the young man wore a Liverpool jersey—a rival club—only three in ten stopped. The same low number helped when he wore a plain shirt that was not football related. It wasn’t hostility, just apathy toward those outside their identity group.
Here’s the twist: Another group of Man U fans first did activities about football in general, the beautiful game, not just their team. For them, it didn’t matter if the fallen man wore a Man U or Liverpool jersey—they helped equally, because now they saw a fellow football fan. Their identity had expanded. The smallest change in mindset leading to a big change in behaviour.
Try-then-listen
So what does this mean for the organisation?
Never underestimate the power of shared identity. It can be a curse—or a blessing.
By default, people anchor their identity to their team. This isn’t by design; it’s an accidental result of hiring into specific jobs, in specific teams, and specific departments. It’s like handing out a dozen different jerseys at the door. From that moment, human nature kicks in—people are there to help their in-group, and are apathetic to out-groups.
The alternative? Anchor identity to the organisation's mission—like seeing football, not just club rivalries.
To achieve this, you don’t just say the mission is important, because your system of work says otherwise, with its high-definition jobs, ironclad team-based budgets, and regular team meetings. Instead, you tweak that system of work, and it can be achieved with small changes, for example:
Broaden job titles
Make job descriptions mission-centric, with evolving responsibilities
Create a ‘Mission Squad’ that can be deployed on work that is important to the mission but has emerged unexpectedly and does not fit elsewhere; fill the team with a rotating group of people from all departments
Launch a ‘Mission Steward Award’ to recognise those who make changes to their job responsibilities to better serve the mission
Change is a swarm of hacks. It’s not set-and-forget—it’s try-then-listen.
One percent better each month is an absolute revelation in time. Joyous work is within your reach. You can start now.
What we do
At Joyous Work, we help organisations of all sizes to identify and eliminate the work-about-work that suffocates people from executing their crafts. Consistently joyous and super-productive work is closer than you might think. Visit joyouswork.com or reach out to john@joyouswork.com.
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