Tag: culture

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Beware of the Two-Track Effect

Acknowledge the Emotions

When we speak, we intend to have it perceived in a certain way. That is one track. If we are effective communicators, the message we send gets recognized the way we mean it too.

Effective communication is difficult and requires more than just making sure you use the “right words.” Emotions, among other things, have to be acknowledged as well.

Emotions are a layer on our perception and frame how we see the world.

If we don’t acknowledge them, our emotions can hijack a conversation. The hijacking happens subtly and creates what I call the two-track effect.

The two-track effect is when communication occurs between two parties, and they walk away from it with two wildly different perceptions of the outcome.  At some point, effective communication stopped, and the message got on a different track then speaker thinks.

The two-track effect compounds. If left alone, it can destroy relationships and culture.

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Listen

Resist the urge to talk, just listen

Sometimes, you have the perfect thing to say when someone else is talking.

You just know it’s going to save the world, solve that problem, generate revenue or build on a process.

Stop.

Seriously, stop.

While some us have the tendency to ramble, defaulting to listening has a ton of benefit:

  • You’ll let someone flesh out an idea
  • Your question or thought answered before you ask it
  • The other person’s respect doesn’t feel trampled on

As a result, the culture that you’re in becomes better. This result compounds.

Just listen.

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Give Thanks Graciously

It’s a team effort

We do nothing great alone.

When you need something, there are people, directly and indirectly, fighting battles for you. Whether it is a parent making sure you are emotionally ok to take on a dream or a mentor fighting red tape, someone has our back.

No one is a lone genius.

That’s the beauty of humanity. Our strength comes from our collective intelligence. That collective intelligence moves us forward.

This idea is worth remembering when we’ve accomplished something of great consequence.

Make it a part of your routine to bring in those around you. It improves your allies esteem. Esteem is a type of fuel, one that helps them take on bigger fights. This change, in turn, allows for more risk and greater reward.

So remember, you’ve we’ve won!

It leads to bigger gains in the future.

 

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Let’s Get Coffee

 the-down-low

Use coffee to delegate better

I never understood coffee in the past.

Not the drink, but the event. It’s two people sitting down and talking about everything but work.

I thought about results. I didn’t think about culture. It led to this.

I ran a bad startup culture. Then, I worked in a better corporate one. The difference was the coffee meeting.

The coffee meeting doesn’t need context. It’s acceptable to talk about anything during coffee.

During coffee, people let their guard down and talk about problems in an open way.

This background, getting to know people, is critical, especially when delegating tasks.

This time is how you build intuition about your team. The freedom here gives both you and the other person room to discuss goals and tactics. This conversation helps both of you grow.

The best part is, unlike lunch or dinner, there is no expectation on time. If nothing happens, leaving after a few minutes isn’t the end of the world.

I avoided this connection. It led to withdrawal in both a startup and corporate culture, which let me know how important it is, regardless of the context of “where” you work.

When you aren’t connected, you lose impact. With no impact, you become irrelevant, no matter how good your work is.

So, let’s get coffee.

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The Culture of Distrust Checklist

The Culture of Distrust Checklist

The fastest way to demoralize a team is not to trust it

Creating a culture of distrust is easy.

Here is a mini checklist that can hurt everyone on the team:

  • Micromanage – Badger them with email, slam them with tiny tasks, give them SUPER detailed instructions, etc.
  • Break boundaries – Tell them to stay late and not offer anything, check their emails, comment on their personal situation, etc.
  • Don’t Communicate – Don’t say why, “just start,” don’t offer your ear to listen, etc.

Each of those things is a shortcut to getting something done.  Control is easier than challenging.

The drawback is they destroy someone’s sanity.

Instead of feeling wanted and productive, people feel disconnected. They act like a statistic because you are treating them like one.

Resist the urge. Culture quickly spreads and as a result, negative defaults rapidly happen.

Trust is easy to lose and hard to gain.

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Cultural Divide

We are all cultured.

All of us come from a background where there are rules on how to talk, dress, see the world, etc.

Knowing these things allows us to communicate more effectively with someone from another culture.

Here is an example: when an American says “how are you doing,” it’s flippant, almost directly following “Hello” as a courtesy. In some parts of France, this is a no-no, as “how are you” is a very personal question.

Think about these before you engage in deeper communication (more than just a hello), what is the culture, how can you learn more about it? It can save you the hassle. 

It can save you the hassle. 

You don’t want to over-communicate in a bad way.

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Culture Questions – Is It As Good As You Say?

I’ve recently recognized that the right questions lead to success much more than the right answer does. My interpretation of that stems from the ability for answers to guide, but not restrict a conversation, while answers tend to lock things down.

I sat in a presentation about culture from another company and I started to hear the same clichés that are often raised in regards to culture. These ideas are great on paper (open door policy, “community building”,’SOCIAL MEDIA’… extra point for those who can feel my annoyance with each ongoing ‘point’) but are rarely implemented. It sounds good, but in reality things aren’t ever how they sound.

I came up with a list of questions. If you can answer them, great, you are on your way to understanding the culture that you have. If you can’t – I would recommend a sit down to see if the “community” is as strong as you think it is. I feel like it would be a growth process either way.

How often do we admit our faults in public?

Is there a culture of fear?

How often to people talk to management about issues?

When was the last time you followed up?

What changes have you made in the last year?

Have you surveyed your group?

Have you ever brought up money?

What have you found out about your employees vs what they have told you?

Who leads meetings?

Who is your ideal worker?

If you asked your employees to have coffee with you, would they (on their time & dime?)

How are you engaging your work force?

Do you track your mentors?

What are the metrics for tracking mentorship?

Does reverse mentorship happen?

How often do people ask questions?

Has the least experienced person ever led a meeting?

Has that person spoken up?

Voiced a different opinion?

What priority is training to your organization?

Is there a training person in your team responsible for filtering/recommending/vetting training?

If someone asked about the groups culture – how many different kinds of answers would you expect?

 

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