I've now translated the behaviors associated with all four of our core values (Leadership, Enthusiasm, Integrity, and Teamwork), 31 statements in all, and I've also further consolidated each list of "sixth grade" behaviors into common themes--actions based on the values and behaviors that would be preferrable in almost any situation we find ourselves in. There are two of these common themes for each value, yielding the following list:
1. Actions that seek to engage others, simply and clearly, in the work of the association.
2. Actions that demonstrate an awareness of our larger mission, and attempts to better connect our activities to it.
3. Actions that demonstrate a commitment to growth and development.
4. Actions that show enjoyment of the work.
5. Actions that address rather than avoid conflict.
6. Actions that humbly seek mutual growth.
7. Actions that demonstrate respect and consideration of others.
8. Actions that show an understanding of organizational objectives.
Looking at them now as a set for the first time, I see some obvious areas of commonality and overlap. #2 and #8 and clearly related to one another, as are #3 and #6. More subtly, I think #5 and #7 fall into a similar category, leaving only #1 and #4 as stand-alone ideas. A rewritten list may therefore look something like this:
1. Actions that seek to engage others, simply and clearly, in the work of the association.
2. Actions that demonstrate an awareness of our mission and objectives, and attempts to better connect our activities to it.
3. Actions that demonstrate a commitment to mutual growth and development.
4. Actions that show enjoyment of the work.
5. Actions that demonstrate respect for others, and a preference to tactfully address rather than avoid conflict.
I like this list, but believe that I will still be challenged to keep these five concepts at the forefront of my thinking. What started as an exercise in putting things in simpler language has again morphed into a series of statements that attempt to capture a fair amount of nuance.
I think what I need is a script. A short paragraph that embodies these ideas, but remains phrased in simple, everyday language. To draft one, let me think for a moment about what a workplace in which everyone consistently displays these five actions would look like. How would someone working in that environment describe their organization to others? Wouldn't they say something like:
"You know, I really enjoy working here. I know that the things I do are helping the organization grow and prosper. And the people I work with are great. We're always learning from each other and helping each other develop new skills. When there is conflict, we respect each other enough to address and resolve it. But the best part is working with our members. I love getting them more involved in the things we do."
I think I captured it all. Enjoyment of work, understanding one's connection to organizational mission and objectives, growing and developing together, respect and conflict resolution, and engaging members in the work of the association. I changed the order of the ideas, but they're all there. And now I have something that I think will be useful. Not only can I use it as a daily affirmation, a reminder of how I should be leading in the workplace I'm responsible for, I can also use it to prompt necessary conversations with staff members.
Because each statement in the script, when needed, can also become a question.
Do you enjoy working here? We have to start there. If someone isn't enjoying their job, then not much else is going to matter.
Do you know how the things you do help the organization grow and prosper? If not, we need to get clarity around that right away. Either I've not done my job in helping you connect those dots, or the things you're doing are no longer valuable. Either way, it's another foundational premise that must be understood if we expect to see any other kind of success.
Are you learning things from your co-workers? If not, why not? Ours is a culture focused on growth and development, and our co-workers are one of the richest sources of new information and new ways of looking at things that we have.
Are you addressing conflict when it arises? Maybe you didn't realize that it was your job to do that. Not rudely, but with the respect that every person deserves. Conflict is almost never about the people involved, it's about different sets of priorities and different ways of doing things. Working through conflict is one of the best ways to develop both a shared understanding of priorities and to leverage a wide diversity of talents and perspectives to get them done.
How are you helping to connect our members to the things we do? Because that's your job, too. But frankly, if you don't enjoy working here, or you don't understand how the things you do help us grow and prosper, I'm not sure I want you talking to our members. Assuming those bases are covered, start thinking about members that could benefit from your projects, reach out, and get them engaged.
Or words to that effect. A lot of that just came out stream-of-consciousness style, but there's enough meat there to reinforce for me the idea that this script, and the questions it begs, are a good way to start being more mindful of our core values, and to engage staff in fruitful discussions about how to embrace them.
+ + +
This post was written by Eric Lanke, an association executive, blogger and author. For more information, visit www.ericlanke.blogspot.com, follow him on Twitter @ericlanke or contact him at eric.lanke@gmail.com.
Image Source
http://www.halogensoftware.com/blog/reinforcing-organizational-culture-through-mindful-conversations
No comments:
Post a Comment