An Antidote to the Three Most Common Poisons of Company Engagement

Written by: Maria Shishkova Managing Partner, AIMS Bulgaria

1. Excessive Formality: The Corporate Mask
Have you ever felt it? Everything appears polished and perfectly arranged—on the surface. Beneath the pristine order, though, lies a sterile environment where genuine connections are absent. Like a family where peace prevails outwardly but members exist in isolated worlds, employees in such organizations often feel disconnected.

This detachment manifests as employees creating micro-worlds with trusted colleagues where masks come off, or seeking friendships entirely outside of work. Why?

Historically, corporate formality has been a tool to ensure discipline and accountability. However, excessive rigidity creates an environment where genuine thoughts and emotions are stifled. At the same time, when management overly emphasizes understanding and concessions, high-performing, conscientious employees may feel overlooked or even penalized for their commitment.

The key is balance—cultivating an environment where employees feel noticed, valued, and challenged to grow.

2. How to Foster Real Engagement

• Understand Your People Before They Join
  Before onboarding, take the time to genuinely understand a potential employee's values and align them with the organization’s culture—not just the stated values, but the actual ones lived day to day. Use advanced tools or expert consultants to assess compatibility, and openly discuss potential misalignments. When people consciously choose their work environment, they are better equipped to handle challenges and sustain motivation.

   

• Encourage Honest Conversations
  Teams often accumulate hidden tensions that can lead to defensive behaviors, avoidance, or office politics. Bringing in an external, trusted facilitator can help diffuse these tensions, opening channels for productive dialogue. Just as we consult doctors for physical ailments, why let the “virus” of an unhealthy culture fester unchecked? Yes, the process may involve some discomfort, but with professional guidance, the organization can heal faster and stronger.

   

• Balance Support and Challenge at the Top
  When senior leadership lacks equilibrium between support and challenge, the organization swings between two extremes: constant upheaval or apathetic inertia. Conducting trust assessments among senior leaders and reviewing board-level dynamics over several years can highlight potential cracks. These cracks, left unaddressed, can widen into organizational chasms over time.

   

3. Avoiding the "Sunflower Effect": Broken Connections

Have you noticed how some middle managers focus solely on impressing those above them, much like sunflowers turning their best sides to the sun? While their upward-facing performance might dazzle, beneath them, teams and processes often languish in neglect.

If left unchecked, this creates a dissonance between senior leadership's inspiring words and the lived reality for the rest of the organization, leading to perceptions of hypocrisy. To prevent these disconnects:

• Break the Bubble
  Senior leaders must bridge the gap by connecting directly with employees a level or two below middle management. This requires intentional, direct communication that goes beyond formal settings, emphasizing authenticity and attentiveness.

   

• Master Metacommunication
  Leaders should refine their ability to pick up on subtle cues—body language, tone, and nonverbal signals—that often reveal the true sentiment within the organization. Developing sensitivity to these nuances enables leaders to address hidden morale issues before they escalate.

   

In Summary

To counteract the poisons of excessive formality, broken connections, and imbalances in leadership culture:

1. Create an environment where people feel seen, understood, and challenged.
2. Foster open, honest communication and resolve tensions proactively.
3. Balance discipline with humanity, and always strive for alignment between leadership’s vision and the lived experience of employees.