Where People Love Working Together
Successful leaders build environments where people love working together.
Environments emerge from language, conversation, and behavior.
4 essentials to successful environment building
#1. Intolerance:
Environment building includes confrontation.
Organizations are destroyed by behaviors that should be confronted but are condoned by silence.
Silence is deadly when it comes to misaligned, offensive, and counter-productive behaviors. You get what you tolerate.
Tolerance is the path to oblivion.
#2. Language:
Language transforms environments.
Organizations with inconsistent or fuzzy language are lost and confused.
Successful leaders attach language to values. Choose two or three words that every leaders uses every day everywhere they go. If you value relationships, choose words like listen, connect, and engage, for example.
Choose language that reflects who you want to become.
#3. Conversations:
Environments result from repeated topics of conversation.
“Can’t,” “won’t,” and, “it won’t work,” are necessary parts of organizational life. Leaders close doors that lead nowhere.
Environments are both formed and expressed by the things everyone talks about. Dark, defeated environments result from talking about problems more than solutions, for example.
Topics of conversation establish direction.
Conversational topics have trajectory. You move toward what you talk about.
- Become aware of the topics you talk about.
- Choose topics of conversation that take you where you want to go.
- Eliminate dead-end conversations. All conversations have destinations. It’s better to choose destinations than to wake up wondering how you got there.
#4. Behaviors:
Language is one part of the culture building equation, behavior is the essential other.
Culture results from repeated behaviors.
The behaviors you tolerate, encourage, honor, and reward form the environment you live in. Choose positive behaviors that express values.
- Start on time.
- Smile and say good morning.
- Ask questions that encourage forward movement.
- Invite feedback.
Environments exists by accident or intent.
Intentionally choose language and behaviors that build environments where people love working together.
What environment building tips can you add?
Lots here today! 🙂
…the product of a company includes the culture it builds so it’s employees are in a position of continual growth and development.. it’s wonderful to look backward and say “those folks / experiences helped me grow to who I am today…”
Thanks Ken. The concept of continual growth and development is key to a culture where people love working together. Thanks for your insight.
Build on the culture at hand versus trying to create multiple sub-cultures within the same organization. Promote a sense of accountability for each employee’s successes and failures. Celebrate the successes and learn from the failures.
Thanks Jim. There’s so much wisdom in starting where you are. Many of my failures began by rejecting, belittling, or attacking the current state. So glad you stopped in.
Language of the organization is the reflection of the culture of the organization. And culture is built over a time. I agree to your point that intolerance leads to oblivion but it all depends on the prevailing culture, An organisation which does not promote open communication there intolerance/reaction/response leads to oblivion. A leader must understand the language of the organization, I remember a instance where one the so called business leader ( X) was shouting at juniors working in another unit, have come to X units for some work, now let me understand what victim should do, react , respond, tolerate , above all what he laerns and how he build his character towards his juniors.
Thanks Rajesh. When we tolerate inappropriate behaviors we destroy environments where people love to work. I’m not sure, but I think we agree with each other.
It takes a lot of leadership guts to use the word LOVE! Yet to create and sustain a culture of trust to build lasting success, LOVE is the only character and personality quality that is sure to do it.
In reference to organizational culture, management guru Edward Deming suggested everything hinged on the belief and attitude of the individual employee. And so a rather thought-provoking question he asked was–how do we help ourselves and others solve the mystery of “me?”
It was Deming’s contention that life, living, being, and doing were neither a mystery waiting to be solved–or a mistake needing to be corrected. And work need not be angst or drudgery.
The mystery of “me”—the person we all are—is to find the LOVE in who we are, what we do, and with whom we do it. LOVE brings with it a passionate, fulfilled life. Work when combined with LOVE is a journey of discovery guided by openness and enthusiasm that makes us come alive. LOVE inspires us to come alive.
Great stuff as always! It’s particularly relevant for me right now. It’s going to get printed and posted rich in my face for a few weeks. Thanks Dan!
Hi Books;
I like your comment. Deming’s thoughts and work are a part of a presentation I give on Character-Based Leadership.
It seems our nation has become a negative and pessimistic one. Getting close to those we work with, let alone allowing ‘Love’ to enter the equation isn’t always easy, nor is the concept always well received. The challenge all leaders today face is, “how can (I) inspire REAL emotional commitment and connection between the people I am responsible to”?
BTW, I frequently read what you write, & like what you say Books!
Thanks again Books
SGT Steve
What a wonderful thread! Love rules!
Thanks Books. I see the term love seeping into leadership language from time to time. It’s a powerful, and as you indicate, courageous move.
All the real problems of life are love problems.
“Love ALWAY’S find’s a way”…………
No, you summarized it all well. Thanks Dan.
Thanks Dennis. I’m disappointed .. 😉
Not good then 😋
Good morning Dan;
“Yea, up early again my friend”. I can’t add much at all today Dan. You pretty much said it all so it’s ‘short N sweet’ this morning.
I’m sure we’ve all heard the saying, “YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT”. Being somewhat of a fitness fanatic, I can say without a doubt, & from personal experience, (this is so-o-o true). Likewise, we become that which our minds remain focused on. When we think positive thoughts, we generally produce positive results. Hence, when we think negative thoughts, we generally produce negative results.
I believe it’s about how people choose to live their lives. Are we just along for the ride? Or would we like to make things better? So; if we are what we eat, and we become what we think, “I choose to ‘Fuel-up’ on ‘High-Test’ thank you very much”!
G O O D S T U F F I N , G O O D S T U F F O U T . . .
“good stuff my friend”
Cheer’s Dan
Sgt Steve
Thanks Sgt. You should keep leaving comments early. Very eloquent.
This is such an important message for the increasingly polarized society Americans are living in. The tone of the political conversation seems to spill over into everything else, too often on the extreme ends. The environment quickly becomes contentious, and any real communication is lost. I can’t remember another time when, rather than simply agreeing or disagreeing, that people passionately HATED the political opposition, but then they aren’t willing to hold their chosen side accountable for anything. And then they will blame the opposition when nothing gets done.
Thaks Cheryl. Let’s face it. Blaming doesn’t create an environment people love to work in. It’s sad that disagreement is taken personally.
A foundation of trust between colleagues. Valuing and appreciation of diversity of skills and behaviours. Being able to be yourself and others not judging you.
Thanks Nick. (NgageingNick is cool)
YOur last sentence speaks to me. It’s important for us to celebrate diversity. If we want the best from people, we must first know and accept who they are.
Indeed and your philosophy is why I follow you here and also via Twitter
Well said.
Thanks!
These four aspects are really important in leadership and I think what you said is related to culture. Cross-culture dialogue can easily lead to misunderstandings. Consider the case of a Japanese team work with Americans. Japanese often greet with a long silence after a presentation but Americans take it as disapproval.
Dan, its obvious you and the sergeant are rocking the love and peace in my world. Thank you for making me such a bunch better place to be. #yourmutha loves you!