Are we confused about Organization Loyalty?

Time to modernize this ancient concept.

Are calls for ‘return to office’ turning into tests of organization loyalty?

Should we try and understand organization loyalty a little better?

Organization loyalty is not a simple idea. Makes you think of these questions.

• Loyalty to whom?

  • Your career?

  • Your company’s brand? 

  • Your company’s purpose?  

  • Your boss?

• Is loyalty reciprocal?

• Do loyalty expectations differ with levels?

Loyalty to whom?

Purpose

An organization is a derivative of a purpose. Delivery of purpose leads to profit. In the non-profit sector, purpose leads to societal or environmental change.

An organization should expect loyalty to its purpose from its employees. If loyalty is too personal a concept, it can expect alignment.

People change jobs to build careers. It is unrealistic to be super passionate about the purpose of every organization. Yet, for the duration of employment, advancing the organization’s purpose is a necessary condition of employment.

Brand

Brands communicate the organization purpose. Alignment, love or loyalty to a brand is a stronger emotional force a than a belief in the purpose statement. Some brands are global, universally loved or recognized. Employees in these companies are likely to feel an extra sense of organization pride.

Pride in the brand is often a greater force of retention than the purpose of the organization.

Career

Does loyalty to your career supersede loyalty to the purpose of an organization?

Yes. In the long run.

Employees are equally loyal to their career and to the purpose of the organization. However, the long-term goal of every employee is to maximize their value as a professional. It is rarely possible for one company to help maximize the lifetime value of a person. Loyalty to building your own value is higher than loyalty to the purpose of the organization.

Boss

Loyalty is an ancient concept. In the past, loyalty was a personal concept: “Loyalty to royalty!” “I have eaten my master’s salt!”

It is unrealistic for bosses to expect personal loyalty. Bosses and their teams are both employees of the organization. None should undermine the other. Equally, none should expect personal loyalty from the other.

The boss and team, both employees, must earn each other’s respect - not expect loyalty either way.

So, here is the hierarchy of loyalty.

Is loyalty reciprocal?

Loyalty may be projected as being reciprocal, but it is not. At its core, loyalty is one-way.

Organizations expect people to be loyal. The opposite is not true when reductions in the employee force happen. That is the flawed nature of loyalty. It is one-way. In the past, people died for their king out of loyalty. The converse was rare.

Adopting the words, ‘alignment’ or ‘affinity,’ may be more relevant now instead of invoking the sentiment of loyalty.

Room with a view?

Is loyalty easier at different levels of the organization?

This is a difficult question, but expectations of loyalty increase at higher levels of the organization.

Part of the reason is that higher levels have a bigger view of the organization. Higher levels have more influence on the shape and direction of the organization. They see it as their creation. They expect people who are part of what they created to be loyal to them, and their creation.

In conclusion

Alignment to the organization and loyalty to your career may be a more modern expectation than organization loyalty.