Is Your Culture a Cult?

"Cults aren't a separate category from organizational culture. They're the extreme end of the same continuum every organization sits on, and the mechanics that produced Jonestown also produce ordinary, unhealthy workplaces, just at different doses."

"The way to spot a cult is by its mechanics, not by its outcomes. By the time the outcome is visible, it's already too late."

"If your culture scores high on all three, you're at the extreme. If it scores low, you're at the healthy end."

Every organization operates on a spectrum from healthy culture to cult-like behavior. The continuum is defined by three diagnostic questions regarding dissent, communication, and personal loss upon leaving. Cults punish disagreement, use obscure language, and create a sense of total loss for members who leave. Organizations that score high on these questions are closer to the cult end, while those scoring low maintain a healthier culture. In turbulent times, the risk of drifting towards cult-like characteristics increases.

Read at Psychology Today