INTHEBLACK May 2022 - Magazine - Page 37
T OX I C W O R K P L A C E B E H AV I O U R C A N C A U S E
SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO EMPLOYEE MORALE
A N D T O A C O M PA N Y ’ S R E P U TAT I O N . H O W D O
L E A D E R S D I S M A N T L E A C U LT U R E O F S I L E N C E ?
CULTURE
OF SILENCE
STORY JOHANNA LEGGATT
O
n the surface, the former CEO
of AustralianSuper, Ian Silk,
had little reason to be concerned
about workplace culture.
After all, the industry super fund,
underpinned by a members-first business
model and a clearly enunciated value
framework, has consistently received positive
staff feedback on its annual in-house surveys.
Nevertheless, a few years ago, Silk
began wondering whether the staff and
management at AustralianSuper had “drunk
the Kool-Aid”, as he put it at the time.
Did the positive staff reviews accurately
reflect the company’s workplace culture?
Were staff and leaders really “walking
the talk”, or were the glowing satisfaction
scores being skewed by a kind of amiable
groupthink?
Silk decided to find out.
AT A
GLANCE
Many people tend
to remain silent
when witnessing
instances of bad
behaviour in the
workplace, largely
due to a fear of
confrontation.
A key step in
encouraging
employees to call
out toxic behaviour
is developing a
culture that
prioritises a sense
of inclusion and
belonging.
TESTING THE WATERS
In 2018, Silk commissioned The
Ethics Centre to investigate whether
AustralianSuper’s workplace culture was
truly aligned with its ethical framework.
The fund passed with flying colours, but
the process was more than just a pat-on-theback exercise.
The Ethics Centre also highlighted that
AustralianSuper was “conflict averse” at
times, and that there was room for more
robust discussions.
According to Michele Glover,
AustralianSuper group executive, people
and culture, the fund has since developed
a Culture and Conduct Framework, which
offers guidelines for staff when making ethical
decisions, as well as avenues for speaking up
and respectfully challenging something that
“doesn’t feel right”.
intheblack.cpaaustralia.com.au May 2022 37