When first hearing the word “clues,” your mind might start envisioning great fictional detectives such as Sherlock Holmes or Miss Marple, but in the business world it is essential for every leader to be prepared to recognize and address the dangerous signs that lead to lowered productivity and overall dysfunction. Fortunately, in contrast to many best-selling detective novels, the clues needed to solve this case are almost always comprised of the same list of usual suspects. 

A careful examination requires the business leader to comb over details with the thoroughness of a magnifying glass to see if the first signs of trouble have begun to sneaking up on the company. These symptoms may seem harmless at first, but have the potential to multiply and wreak havoc once your guard is down.

An early warning sign is deferral of decision making. The realization that decisions aren’t being made or, if made, they must be thought and rethought before action can be taken. The lack of forward movement can be invisible at first, but eventually becomes a powerful intruder that can cripple a company. 

Apathy is a later clue that, if not picked up early, will spread its influence throughout the work environment, allowing for a stuck feeling that can easily expand across the organization.  An apathetic work force is a dire consequence that must be immediately and firmly addressed.  If not, an overall lack of direction and sense of carelessness will bring forth a class of employees who are merely hanging on to their jobs and neglecting their work. Not contributing and consequently acting as a negative influence on the company’s work environment, these once valued workers allow their roles to ultimately calcify and become irrelevant.

Response: It is essential to call out and reveal apathy as soon as you begin noticing the signs materializing. Regularly interview key employees and frequently gauge the levels of morale within the company. Once a sense of indifference and carelessness begins to rear its head, immediately address any misconceptions or concerns that have started taking root among the work force. Keep employees focused on a goal-centered path with a clear sense of the company’s expectations.

Circling the wagons occurs when the usual and customary rate of turnover stalls. A departure of old employees and influx of new ones is a natural occurrence in many situations and if that process is grinding to a halt it might be time to examine who exactly is staying on and why. Too many hangers-on inevitably bring about an uncommunicative and unproductive silo culture, because these individuals become increasingly territorial and resistant to any change. Struggling to maintain their small patch of ground and refusing to step outside to interact with others, cooperation, and a greater sense of contribution is soon sacrificed. Meaningful dialogue becomes stifled and the sense of apathy grows deeper.

Response: The most direct way to address this sense of damaging lack of productivity is to schedule and monitor regular team meetings in which all members are compelled to participate. Constructive debates should be encouraged and opposing viewpoints required.       

Triangulation can appear logical, but when the blame for lack of results becomes constant, it is a sure sign of distress. True constructive arguments leading to results can be the sign of vibrancy, as employees are willing to challenge each other and the status quo. Conflicts, when not allowed to rise to the surface, worsen and expand into larger emergencies that can become ultimately destructive. 

When these clues go undetected, suddenly, unaware corporate leaders find themselves scratching their heads and trying to inspire companies that are constantly on the defensive rather than the offensive. A strategy of growth has mysteriously vanished and left behind a fear of change. Employees then begin seeing their own company as a threat and possible villain. Left unchecked, they sadly start pitting themselves against the very organization that is supposed to nurture their abilities and deepen their commitment to the customer. 

Response: The key here is to immediately break apart the triangle by pulling the three sides apart. Often this vicious circle, or three-point trap, consists of a classic victim, persecutor, and rescuer. Workers that involve themselves in these empty exercises need to be educated and reminded about what their real roles and options are. They need to be forced to step outside their narrowly perceived limits and learn to embrace a fuller range of responsibilities.  By offering these workers the proper communications tools to solve their own problems, employees are consequently empowered to become true contributors and a positive influence within the organization, rather than helpless victims who waste valuable time and resources.

Finally, customers begin to vanish into thin air. At this most frightening point, customers begin sensing these changes and start disappearing in greater numbers. This becomes glaringly obvious when valued customers who are expected never to leave make the final decision to walk away. Having had their relationships with the company taken for granted and devalued, they take their business elsewhere, leaving dumbfounded executives and employees scrambling to understand what went wrong.

Response: It is crucial to notice these changes and pick these clues up early. Proactively communicate with customers, in as many ways that you can and as regularly as you possibly can. In many ways it can be best to seek out the most dissatisfied ones to recognize any patterns or common complaints that seem to be emerging. It is necessary to remind workers that the fostering of a culture of openness extends outside the company walls as well as inside.

Of course, no corporate leader wants these clues to lead to this point of no return. The leader must detect these signs early, take them seriously, and begin at the beginning: Your company may be slipping away from its very purpose. Getting back on its track means asking the key questions: Are we creating value? To whom? These clues may be telling you to redefine yourselves as quickly as possible, and the clock is ticking.

Companies that solve to great challenges and achieve great goals, notice early when things are off track. They see the energy of their employees as trusted clues that portend initial problems and have something very special in common. They all need to question the biggest thing of all: Is our value to the customer what it used to be?

If you suspect your company has drifted into the dark and mysterious world of lost productivity, there is no reason to sit back and allow yourself to be a silent accomplice. Remember that the initial clues can always be detected in employee behaviors. It is essential to use these methods of deduction as soon possible, because dissatisfied customers will always know who the real culprit is; and they will definitely not be blaming the butler for this one.