Illustration @clinpsych_ind
What I’ve learned about company and team culture is that it begins with a mission. From the mission, you define the behaviours needed to achieve it and the values required to support those behaviours. You then build the people, processes, and systems around those values. To sustain the culture, you must ensure these values are lived every day, including hiring people who align with them.
It’s challenging to hold the attention of someone determined to be bored. When a person is selfish, self-absorbed, or narcissistic, they gauge the value of your actions solely by how much satisfaction you bring them. In other words, they're content with your efforts as long as you cater to their desires. However, the moment they tire of what you offer, they’ll demand you change to better suit their whims. The truth is, selfish people are never truly satisfied, and the arrogant are never easily appeased. So, if you notice that your ongoing efforts have no lasting impact on such individuals, and that their happiness depends entirely on you meeting their expectations. it’s worth recognising this dynamic as hazardous to your emotional well-being. Prioritising your emotional health is crucial, and knowing when to step back can be empowering.
““If the roots are strong, the tree need not fear the wind.” ”
Why is it so hard to capture the benefits of diversity?
When we meet someone new, we usually look for things we have in common with them, such as sports, TV shows, education, children, or country of origin.
Try a new challenge: the next time you're interacting with someone new who looks different from you, instead of looking for similarities, embrace your differences. Talk about what makes you unique and different from the other person. Ask them about their life, their story, and the experiences they've gone through that you can learn from. Don’t focus on how you are alike; focus on how you are different. Try this for five minutes.
I guarantee you that the environment you create will be one where differences are normal. No two individuals are the same, and you should not expect people to be just like you. I think you should expect everyone you interact with to be different. And if you can create this kind of environment in your organisations, schools, and families, you will find that the value of diversity is there for you to capture.
Belonging means different things to different people! What makes me feel like I belong doesn’t necessarily make you feel like you belong. People have been judging me throughout my life by what I look like, and my conditioning has made me do that to other people. Nowadays, I make a conscious effort not to judge other people simply by what they look like. I think we have to understand our own sense of belonging as we cannot sit back and think it’s just going to happen to us. We have to participate and in order to do that as an individual, we have to be able to articulate what makes us have a sense of belonging.
According to Medium truly intelligent people and are naturally curious. They can't get enough of learning; they chase knowledge and genuinely enjoy learning new skills. They often learn new things and new skills just out of curiosity, even when they know they don't need those skills for their career or for any other purpose.
Here’s my concise list of what smart people do:
1. Change their minds often
2. Use simple language
3. Admit when they are wrong
4. Ask for help when they are stuck
5. Ask better questions
6. Are self-aware
7. Are comfortable with uncertainty
8. Value soft skills
9. Talk less and say more
Throughout my career, I have been fortunate to have worked with some outstanding people and these opportunities has enabled me to work across businesses and functions, allowing me to understand organisational dynamics through people, process and technology. This has been proven to be invaluable as I engage stakeholders and explore ideas and opportunities in line with business priorities.
“Once the game is over, the king and the pawn go back into the same box.”
I have had the pleasure of working for global companies and have acknowledged that humans and knowledge are the two of the most important resources. There are huge financial incentives that keep the status quo locked in place with the “this is just how it is” attitude. I think that all successful people begin with these two beliefs:
1. The future can be better than the present, and
2. I have the power to make it so.
Do you agree? I have seen great results and productivity improvements in organisations leveraging this framework. Contact me via e-mail and let’s have a conversation.
Work hard
Complain less
Teach others
Share credit
Be on time
Be kind
Be teachable
Show gratitude
c/o Steven Keating
