Changing Workplace Culture for the Better

?? I’ve Been Thinking…

…about The Great Polarization continuing in the U.S. I’m suggesting we take a collective page from “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” and step back to understand before seeking to be understood. Let’s commit to that goal, here and now.

I was thinking along these lines when I found this very sensible post from Maria Shriver. She talks about the need to understand others so we can work together to repair our country.

And I came upon this from Grade-A human, Mr. Rogers, who originally shared it right after 9/11. For those who don’t recognize it, tikkun olam is a Hebrew phrase that means “repair the world.”

And yes, we all know those people with whom it is impossible to converse in healthy ways. I’ve got two shares this week about what to do with those folks. They’re the minority, so let’s focus on where we can make progress. Let’s work together to fix what’s broken and improve on what’s already working well.

It all starts with listening to understand…

?? Stories to Help You Drive Change

Here are my shares for you this week. This time, I went with quick takes—every bullet leads to an Instagram post. I hope they resonate:

SPECIAL NOTE: If you hit a paywall on any of the stories I share, go to Google Search, enter the name of the publication and something about the story (author, title, subject) to get a natural search link that usually by-passes the pay wall. And hey, if you like the publication, consider subscribing to it—that’s how they keep the good info rolling! I’m hearing some paywalls are impenetrable, so for pubs like The Wall Street Journal and the NY Times, I’ll share a bit more here for those of you without subscriptions.

• Do you get nervous when someone asks your opinion when you didn’t expect it? Or do you find it hard to communicate with executives who want a certain cadence to the information they take in? Try these tips to be more confident when presenting information.

• Emotions getting the best of you? Leverage geometry—here’s how.

• Netflix reminds their managers to keep the keepers with this simple question to build stronger, more motivated teams. What do you think?

• I wasn’t familiar with the term “Maverick Inflection Point” until I watched this video by Christina DelliSanti-Miller. Check out her clarification about going for the best-possible result in the comments section—it’s a “don’t miss!”

• I tend to resist any sales advice that starts with “find their pain point” because it feels predatory to me. That said, this post caught my attention for all communicators, because I’ve learned many people are more receptive to risk avoidance than optimizations. I’m still going to lean positive, but I now see the value in going the other route if it helps someone else progress.

• Had to share! So often, communications advice assumes both parties are rational people wanting to understand each other. For when you are dealing with a bona fide narcissist (if you know me, you know I never use the word “narcissist” lightly), this advice from narcissism expert Dr. Ramani is pure platinum!

• And, sometimes, you’re being crystal clear, and they just don’t want to understand—“understanding” doesn’t benefit them. This is good advice when you’re hitting this wall, too, via Dr. Kemi Doll.

?? Hey, What’s This?!?

It’s another page from our compassionate workplace intention and reflection journal.?

There are 52 weeks of prompts like this week’s, which is about self care. You plan ahead for being intentional about self awareness and your impact on others and at the end of each week, you reflect on what transpired. Powerful stuff, designed to help you bring your best self every day. Oh, and it’s free, so download here.

Download Free, Fillable PDF!

?? Do Good Spotlight: Lasagna Love

Lasagna Love helps bring the concept of making the world a better place to your kitchen. Its volunteers sign up to cook and deliver lasagna to a family in need. That’s it. Just old-fashioned love spread through a warm, hearty meal. Learn more about their mission: Lasagna Love.

?? Noteworthy: Giving 1 Percent

Are you generous? Mindy Gibbins-Klein gives an inspiring TED Talk in which she asks you to calculate your “giving” number and consider the concept of living on 99% of what you make and giving 1% purposefully to charities. To help people embrace the good we can do if we each work this model, she founded Giving 1 Percent. It sounds simple, but I encourage you to listen to Mindy’s exploration of the reasons we don’t give and how we could reconsider our opportunities to give more.

?? You Never Know… Giving Up Pets for Adoption

We adopted two kittens this week and the woman running the adoption center shared that there are many dogs available – even purebred dogs. People who were promised they could work from home permanently are being forced back to physical workplaces, and their new commutes aren’t allowing them to keep their pets.

This is just another example of what happens when company leadership insists on “going back to the way it was” instead of investing in pioneering “a better paradigm.”

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if companies were all run by thoughtful, confident, brave leaders? As leaders, let’s be them. As employees, gravitate towards them. We can do this together!

?? On a Personal Note

We elevate by growing together. There’s so much to learn, explore, and understand when we commit to being open to others and their experiences. Let’s take time to ask real questions, listen carefully, and reflect. Let’s redirect our energies to making our world less fearful, more compassionate, and less susceptible to “otherness.”

?Until Next Time…

Wishing you the best possible week with lots of ah-ha’s!

Niki