I seem to be continually amazed at how a few commitments
among a group of people can be transformative, resulting in greater harmony and productivity.
One of my
clients, The American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity (ACCCE), recently
decided to give their organizational culture a jump-start in aligning with
their values and business goals. They
chose 3 behaviors that research has shown to exist in constructive cultures and
agreed to practice these with one another.
In a few short months, you can feel the shift. When interns and new staff members join,
these 3 behaviors are shared with them, so they know what to expect of others
as well as what is expected of them.
Rather than creating a long list of do’s and don’ts, they found that zeroing
in on just a few key predictive behaviors was enough to shift their
culture.
Their success reminds me of an event I witnessed and have discussed
many times, because of its impact on me.
Dining at the home of friends whose daughter had just come home from Kindergarten,
we were asking her about her day at school.
In her dramatic tale, she mentioned another student, whom she described
as, “stupid.” Both her parents took
immediate notice, then calmly told her that, although others might use that
word, they were “Bakers,” and members of the Baker family never called anyone
stupid. They continued throughout her
childhood to gently yet firmly reinforce and model behaviors that they felt embodied
their family culture, and to forbid those that they believed didn’t represent
their values and beliefs. Their daughter, now in college, embodies the qualities they intentionally nurtured
in her—kindness, cooperation, reflection, and generosity.
Try this in your own family, team, or organization. If you need a list of constructive behaviors
to get you started, contact me and I’ll email you a list. I’ll bet you already know some obvious
behaviors to encourage as well as some to eliminate. You’ll be astounded at the mutual trust and
respect that blooms when you agree upon and intentionally practice positive behaviors.
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