When I left college and entered the work force, I consistently received verbal and non-verbal messages like, "Look out of number one" or "CYA".  It took me a while to notice that this advice is counterproductive to developing a team that actually operates as a healthy team.  It builds an organizational climate where there is a lack of trust among coworkers and everyone runs for cover instead of collaborating when something goes wrong.

In a CYA culture, finger pointing and a lack of accountability are superimposed over the objectives of the team.  Everyone feels attacked when differences of opinion surface and team members co-exist in perpetual defense mode.   This can lead to unhealthy conflict presenting itself as avoidance, confrontational conversations and a lack of accountability. 

A CYA culture often slows down productivity.  Everyone is so concerned with documenting everything that constructive conversations occur less frequently than they should and when action should be taking place, everyone is concerned with dotting "i's" and crossing "t's" to a point where everyone becomes inefficient and ineffective.  The lack of trust in this type of environment can cause leaders to take longer to make a decision, always second guessing and over analyzing in order to avoid making a mistake.  Companies sometimes end up in a holding pattern where managers and leaders are frustrated by the slow moving decision making process.

It is important to build a culture of accountability and effective leadership, designed to create an owners mentality among employees.  Accountable cultures also encourage creativity and calculated risk taking where coaching is provided and punishment and fear mongering is avoided when something does not go according to plan.    Sometimes employees and managers are so fearful of the consequences of a mistake that they prefer not to stick their necks out.  Self preservation becomes the order of the day.

CYA environments can be transformed to OYH (Open Your Heart ) environments where effective communication, situational leadership, emotional intelligence and openness to differences are the order of the day.  Integrity, forgiveness, inclusion, performance coaching and employee development are central to building this type of climate.