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Are cliques appropriate for the work place? What are the pros and con's of cliques in the work place?
Webster defines a "clique" as a narrowly exclusive group of people usually held together by a common, "often selfish" interest or purpose.
Can a social group of this nature as described by Webster be a positive influence in the work place?
I submit that the work place is not an appropriate setting for cliques. Individual social clubs within a work place can produce negative connotations. Cliques do very little to inspire the spirit of camaraderie. All employees must advocate team playing by supporting team building not separatism.
What qualifies a person to become a clique member? I think the word "clique" is used to describe this type of group because these groups are not formally organized. These people meet and converse, if they get along well and have something in common, they "click" thus, the "clique is borne. They believe in the same things, have the same values, and enjoy one another's company.
These individuals usually trust one another and confide many personal things concerning their home life as well as work related matters. If an outsider desires to become a part of the "clique," the entire group usually takes their cue from the unspoken leader of the group. Leaders are not appointed. Usually the most aggressive person with strong leadership qualities is the one who everyone listens to and counts on for answers and decision-making. Either you fit in a "clique" or you do not. Being a part of a "clique" can lead to favoritism and/or vainglory. This type of "clique" can also lead to a decline in morale among other employees who are not in the loop. Most of the time "cliques" infer exclusivity. There is an unspoken code among "clique" members they often view outsiders as intruders.
Oftentimes "clique" members are rude, thoughtless, self-centered and arrogant when relating to people who are not a part of their group. It is unwise to try and force your way into a "clique" because it can lead to hurt feelings and disappointments. There are no rules that say "cliques" have to accept you.
In the world at large, in all walks of life and in almost every age group there are people under pressure to fit in to be liked and accepted by their associates whether it's in the workplace or other sectors. Sometimes there are problems within the "clique" that can be counter-productive in the work place. Jealousy can rear its ugly head and cause chaos that can bleed on the masses in the work place.
I have injected many cons to the idea of "cliques" in the work place. There are positive things that can result as a consequence of "cliques".
For instance, Cliques can lend one another positive reinforcement in the area of encouragement. However, this support can be counter-productive if it is a "members only" endeavor. Members should also be careful not to make their "cliques" a priority over the real reasons for being on the job, to discharge assigned obligations in the specific job areas for which they are being compensated. When "clique" endorsement begin to affect the morale of employees outside of the "clique" it is time to become un-cliqued.
Another very vital reason for the discouragement of "cliques" in the work place is the fact that these small groups of people can become too relaxed and too familiar with one another and release personal information from their various departments that perhaps should not be released. Cliques can form very unhealthy alliances that can be very hurtful both inside and outside of the group.
Cliques can cause dissention, divisions and hurt feelings, which can have a negative effect on the work place at large. Cliques formed in the work place are much different from those formed in other sectors because the fallout can be greater and costlier.
Clique members often share the same values whether they are moral or immoral causing the stakes to be too high to consider encouraging "cliques" in the work place. Clique members usually expect a certain degree of loyalty among themselves. This can produce treacherous waters because of conflicts of interest where joint company decisions are concerned.
There is without a doubt more cons to the idea of the clique endorsement than there are pros both inside and outside of the group.
I submit that the stakes are too high to consider "cliques" in the work place because "cliques" expect a certain degree of loyalty from its members. Sometimes "cliques" can promote joint efforts to surface that can be harmful to the company, for instancewalkouts, strikes, lawsuits and other disgruntled acts that may surface because of dissatisfaction.
Often a "clique" member's company loyalty is questioned. In a clique, you are expected to accept and support "clique" decisions whether you agree with them or not. Cliques can be defined in the same manner as friends. These two words are interchangeable. Both can have positive as well as negative connotations.
There are already many obstacles to overcome when entering the work place because the first bridge to cross is usually trying to be an asset to the job then the overwhelming need to be accepted, to fit in. The added drama of a "clique" is just not worth the effort. It has always been my philosophy to stay as impartial as possible on the job. Form friendships outside of the work place. A word of advice, Do the job you were hired to do to the best of your ability. When push comes to shove, there are no friends in business.
This is my opinion only and is very subjective. However, experience has taught me that "cliques" are not healthy in the work place. Keep life simple. Treat employers and employees as co-workers and do not allow personal life to enter your work place. You will be glad you did!
» left by Vincent from Meriden, CT (1 year 310 days ago.)
I believe you hit the nail squarely on the head with this article. There is a clique where I work and it was completely draining for me. I almost lost my job because of one clique member who was my friend at first then turned traitor. I got sick and tired of her rudeness and went off on her one day. She then went to human resources in an attempt to get me fired. Luckily my work performance is what I believed saved my job. My boss took notice and stood up for me. I am now in the healing stages and this article was very informative. Thank you for posting this article Respond to this comment
» left by jena(429) jena (1 year 180 days ago.)
Well good for you! There are times when you just have to take a stand. I am sure you are a better person for it. One things for sure whether they want to admit it or not...you gained respect. I am happy for you and I wish you the very best.
» left by Anonymous (1 year 141 days ago.)
Thank you for your response. For you to write this article means that you must have been there, done that. It still hurts after 9 months, but time heals all wounds, at least that's what they say. It doesn't pay to be nice to people in this world. One of the worst feelings a person can feel is betrayal. They take kindness as a sign of weakness. But thank you for your kind words. I hope I indeed gained respect as you said, whether they admit to it or not.
» left by Anonymous (1 year 141 days ago.)
Good afternoon! I want to encourage you to try to get past what happened to you on your job. One thing that I have learned over the years, (and there have been many)
for I have worked a total of 45 years in my lifetime; is that you must not allow other people to control your emotions. There are people, especially ones who view you negatively who enjoy the fact that they can make you sad or see you hurting. So my philosophy has always been..."Never let them see you sweat!" You are in control of "You" That means when you are confronted by people who want to hurt you; you must show your happiest and most contented side. Put on your biggest smile and take away their joy! If they see that their meanness is not destroying you mentally, they will move on to the next victim. Remember..."Never let them see you sweat! but, "Always" let them see you smiling and happy. They will lose their desire to hurt you because they will realize that you are not affected by their meanness. I work for myself now so I get to choose the people I associate with in the workplace. Never stop being nice to people in general, just be selective about who you trust. There are a lot of very nice people in the world and I hope you find the ones who deserve to be your friends. God Bless You!
» left by Vincent (1 year 140 days ago.)
Thank you for your words of encouragement. It is nice to know that there are some good people out there. Your words of advice make perfect sense. I did not know what to do at the time. I was naive and I guess I really did not want to believe that there were people hurting me. It took me many months to wake up and smell the coffee. I don't understand why there are people out there that take advantage of other people's kindness. All I ever wanted to do was be friends with everybody, but I guess that mentality is unrealistic. Maybe they weren't brought up learning any morals or values. But thank you for your kindness as well. I can use all the knowledge I can get
I just wrote a research paper on cliques and I am surprised their is not more emphasis on this pressing issue. I have been the subject and torment of office cliques as well as school cliques and the people who engage in this type of behavior are nothing less than a bunch of petty minded low-lifes who deserve to be unemployed and living in a tent. They are beneath contempt and are a nuissance to any company. Good job Jena and keep the focus on this subject, with the economy being what it is now and people trying to find work, businesses need to keep an eye on it.
Yes! We have an enormous clique at work that spend their day ruining reputations of hard working people. They don't have jobs (obviously or they wouldn't have time to do this) so they take the focus off of them to bad mouth and belittle people that aren't part of their group all the while taking care of themselves and eachother. They aren't fair and impartial, they are judgemental, they do not practice what they preach and they are all around mean and nasty individuals. It's sad to think there are people like this in the world, completely oblivious to the morale killing affects they have on the unit. If they could only see the light - or there was a way to make them see the light! Thank you for your article.
Hi, Thanks for reading and responding to my article on Cliques in the workplace. I can sense your passion as you describe your work environment. Wouldn't it be great if people would focus on doing the job in which they were hired to do....as opposed to forming groups that demean others. Have a great day!
I agree with you 100%. It is very much like that where I work, and I never know each day that when I walk into work I'll still have a job. Bosses always seem to take their side for some reason. They are very good manipulators. It's only until after they fire the innocent and hard workers do they realize that they made a mistake, but they would never admit it. Don' t let go of your values and hopefully it will pay off in the long run.
My workplace definitely contains a large number of 'Clicky' groups. I wouldn't say that they are intentionally nasty or the like. They have simply formed due to a history of low employee turnover. A lot of them have been here since they left school. In the last couple of years due to an aging workforce, a number of new employees have entered the organisation (including myself) and have found the 'clicky' nature of the place difficult to cope with. The turnover has not been sufficient to break up the old cliques. Us new people are trying to contend with a bunch of people of whom most of them have never experienced any other workplace, let alone accepted that the world has moved on in many ways since the 1970s. They also know each other so well that they can just about read each other's minds. Very few of them wish to make any effort to try make new people welcome. In fact, I think a lot of them lack the social skills to be able to strike a conversation with someone they don't know. They went down kicking and screaming when us new people finally convinced management that new clothing issue should at least have people names embroided on them.
I agree very strongly that it is definitely very unhealthy both in terms of productivity and morale to allow cliques to thrive. My immediate workgroup does contain a clique group and I feel pretty down when I am excluded. The nature of our job (Power Plant Control Room Operators) requires good communication and close teamwork. We are in charge of operating plant worth hundreds of millions of dollars, and one slip up could result in a disaster. When two thirds of the team have 'buddied' up and left a couple of us out, the result is a dysfunctional team. When challenged they react in a very sooky stand 'off-ish' manner.
I have sort professional help in order to cope. The advice I have received is not to try too hard, but remain assertive and friendly. Also I'm reassured that I'm not the one with the problem, and until management recognise this and does something about it, then nothing will change. My saving grace is my roster and high income. I do 4 x 12 hour shifts, then I'm out of there for 6 days, so I have plenty of opportunity to have a real life outside of work. Thanks very much for writing the original post as I don't feel alone in this matter anymore. I noticed when I googled this topic, I received thousands of hits. I thinks that says it all.
Hi, Thanks for reading and responding to my article. It appears to me that your situation is a bit different than "Cliques in the Workplace." It seems more like a team of people responding to the current downturn in our economy and job insecurity. They appear to feel threatened by the notion that they will lose their livelyhoods. My suggestion to your issue would be to become the bigger person and turn their hostility and negativity back on them. Have you ever heard the phrase.."Kill them with kindness" A kind heart in this case can turn away wrath. You all have to work together so it is wise to make the environment as pleasant as possible. I believe that the older employees are actually feeling intimidated by the newcomers. Stress and uncertainty can make some of the nicest people turn sour. Try not to take it personally. I sense that they are craving a show of appreciation and that their self-worth has diminished, or is diminishing. People need people ... age is not a determining factor.They need to feel needed. You need to feel needed as well. If I were in your situation I would find something to praise them for because I sense that they are experiencing the deepest principle in human nature.......the craving to be appreciated. Reach out in kindness to hostility by being the bigger person. Compliments cost nothing. Reach out to them as an advice seeker..... (whether you need their advice, or not). I can guarantee you that your work environment will drastically improve if you become the rare individual who honestly satisfies their hunger and renew their feelings of self-worth. You will be able to hold these people in the palm of your hands. They will learn to love and appreciate you and what you bring to the workplace. I am happy that Searchwarp notified me that I had a comment to my article because I just finished a lecture entitled..."Why can't we all just get along" Reach out and touch by being the bigger person. I wish you all the very best. God bless.
On one hand I want to disagree with you about cliques in the workplace. Sometimes they are very beneficial...you are there for 40 hours a week...more time than you spend with your family most of the time. You need a support system within your workplace to help you cope. My personal life is a part of me I can't just 'leave it outside'. I've been working in a place where I have had to be a completely different person when I was on the clock because no one knew anything about my personal life. It was and still is painful.
One the other hand, I understand where you are coming from. This same workplace is where I am not allowed in the 'inner circle' as I call it. Everyone is in the group and then there is me. It is detrimental to our teamwork in the office and to my psyhe to not 'let me in'.
But I have worked at other jobs where everyone had a clique, a support system, and all the cliques worked together and used their intimate knowledge of the people in their clique to play to each other's strengths. Cliques can be a fabulous social tool to help things run smoothly because people are actually communicating with each other instead of not socializing because the information is 'too personal'.
I suppose it all comes down to the power in numbers...and what those numbers do with the power.
I work in an environment where 50% of the staff are in a clique. It's a very small office, there are only four of us. Two of which are best friends. Then there's the office manager, then there's me. Though I was with the company long before both members of the clique. I still feel left out and excluded most of the time. The manager does not have to feel this way because they are the manager, they can infiltrate the clique anytime they want. So, again, I am left feeling like the odd one out. There are constant closed-door meetings amongst them. This is always uncomfortable for me. If the Office manager & assistant office manager have a closed-door meeting, the best friend doesn't have to feel left out, cause all they're gonna do is discuss it when they go home (they are also roommates, and they carpool together). This kind of practice does tend to bring down office morale is really has no place in the workplace.
Not too sure why you would actually want to remain in such a workplace. In my country, deliberate exclusion in the workplace is considered a form of descrimination and harrassment. The situation you describe is to say the least ..very weird. I wonder if the newcomers see you as a potential threat because you are more experienced, or they simply don't realise what they are doing. Would be a very interesting situation if they have a personal fallout. Maybe at the very least tell them how you feel about the situation? I found myself in a similar situation when I was doing a traineeship. There were three of us, and two of them buddied up and deliberately made me feel very excluded. One of them (who was already a long term employee of the company conducting the traineeship) also went out of his way to 'Brown Nose' all the managers, as we had to apply for permanent positions at the completion of our traineeship. I told the other two how I felt about the situation and they reacted like a pair of little sooky kids and lashed out at me. I don't regret taking this action because up to the point of their reaction, I always wanted to give them the benifit of the doubt. It brought the situation out into the open, I knew where I stood with them and allowed me to deal with it. I really hope in your case, it's a simple oversight and they simply don't realise how you feel.
I wish you well and hope you don't let them bring you down.
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