Make a Difference

Workplace culture is so important. It’s hard to describe, but it’s almost like it’s a living thing. Good office culture creates atmosphere, a sense of place, a sense of worth and a sense of joy. Toxic office culture on the other hand….

If you work in a place where the culture could be better, then ask yourself this…

“What difference can I make?”

A not uncommon response to that question might be… “What’s the point?” … “What can I do from where I sit?” … “I’m just one person, one cog, in the big machine.”

That big corporate machine.

Ever heard colleagues and co-workers say these sort of things? We can probably empathise, can’t we.

From a bird’s eye view of where a person sits within their company landscape one can be forgiven for thinking they cannot make any difference. That they cannot have any material impact. Especially when it comes to seemingly immoveable entrenched topics like bad company culture.

It’s usual for a company to proclaim strong values. And for sure, we can all agree universal values such as respect, equality, honesty, innovation, integrity are well intended and laudable. What is more difficult to see is how well these are measured within a company, if indeed they are measured at all. Never mind whether the workforce actually buy into or feel connected to these sometimes lofty, floaty visions of excellence and exemplar. Some may even go so far as to say company values are nothing more than virtue signalling.

And yet, people do take pride in their work and often have an inner belief they are making an impact from within a project delivery perspective…. or at the very least that’s a popular philosophy held at the start of a project or initiative.

?? On the one hand people have an inner belief of delivering quality augmented with their skills and experience. On the other hand they may hold a belief that things can’t change; their experience says so.

Contrasting thoughts, but is there really that much difference between these two beliefs?

What did Henry Ford say?

“Whether you think you can, or you think you can't - you're right.”

So it’s a matter of mindset then. Humans being humans and all that, we are often poor judges of the influence we can have on those around us.

To help explain a little, let’s view this from another perspective, sticking with that bird’s eye view, but looking through a different lens. Instead of seeing oneself as a tiny spec drifting along in the doldrums of the corporate currents, think instead of oneself at the centre of a circle of influence. From that vantage point one can make a splash, and that makes a ripple. A ripple that can be felt by those within their sphere of influence and potentially beyond, if the ripple is amplified.

“Oh, yeah? How?” I hear you ask.

Well, here is one simple tip. One simple change in how you frame your contributions to brain-storming sessions, workshops, client meetings, team breakout sessions and so on.

To put it simply, just Kick the But!

Now, what do I mean by that? Literally, I mean to kick out the word ‘but’. Especially if it follows the word Yes! The phrase ‘Yes, but’ carries negative connotations because it often implies a dismissal or disregard for the preceding statement or idea. When someone responds with ‘Yes, but’ it can come across as though they're acknowledging what was said, but immediately following it with a contradiction or a counterargument, which can feel dismissive or disrespectful to the person who initially spoke.

For example, if someone says, "I think we should try this approach to solve the problem," and the response is, "Yes, but have you considered the risks involved?" it can feel like the initial suggestion is being undermined or invalidated.

It's moments like these that add to poor office culture.

So what can you do?

With a little self-awareness you can catch yourself before saying ‘but’. And if you do, just pause a beat and consider a different way to frame what your were going to say. You will surprise yourself with how easy you can create a more collaborative setting, with just a simple switch of phrase. Practice doing this, then make it a habit.

It’s an easy habit to pick up and one you can easily share with others without calling out the ‘yes, butters’ in your circle of influence.

There, you have it. You see, you can make a difference. Try this and you will see that difference. And see how far your ripple travels, especially when the habit is amplified by others.

This philosophy is taken straight out of the Applied Improvisation playbook. Applied improvisation is improvisation to solve - a bedfellow of improvisation for comedy designed specifically for application in the workplace.

I invite you to consider following for further tips and insights into the world of applied improvisation.

One last thought…. to not give this a go is a small demonstration of yes, butting. Don’t fall into the trap. Instead, Kick the but !