Where you are, Matters!

Your performance or behaviour has more to do than just you!!!  

We often focus solely on our traits and development areas, whilst missing out a crucial part. While there have been numerous studies on this interesting topic, one of the earliest & ground breaking research was done by the German American psychologist Kurt Lewin in 1953 in his work on Field Theory. He established that "behaviour is a function of the person in their environment." As simple as it sounds, it paved way for lot of studies on these two factors – the individual & the environment!  

While the former is a no-brainer, the latter brings an intriguing perspective. The role of an individual has grabbed a lot of attention with multitudes of studies focussing on this subject. The plethora of self-help books, coaching & counselling sessions, etc is a testimony to the importance of the individual in his/ her performance. However, little or no attention is given to the “environmental factor’ in which one operates.  

Have you ever wondered why the world records are created during the Olympics? Why the best performance comes on the biggest stage? Why India tends to beat Pakistan in the Cricket World Cup matches?  

The same holds true in any organization’s environment. Companies worth its salt not only invest in their employees but also work hard to create an environment to get the best out of their people. 

However good the quality of a seed is, it needs the right soil conditions, moisture, sunlight, etc to grow. In essence, for its growth, it relies heavily on its environment. We humans, are not very different either.  

This environment can be broadly categorised into 2 segments – the Culture & the Team! 

Culture  

This is the social fabric that weaves all the employees together. This is the belief & action that an organization lives by. It’s the do’s & don’ts; it’s what they encourage and discourage; it’s the value system that’s visible in the halls & not just on the walls. It’s the core that stands the test of time.  

So, invariably the culture of an organization, any individual is working in has a huge bearing on his performance & that of the organization itself. As it’s said ‘culture in an organization can have strategy for breakfast any day” 

Team 

Whilst many are really not cognizant of this, but the people around you while you work has an impact on your job. This is why, as children we have often been told to stay in good company and eschew the bad ones. One of the researches have pointed out that - you are an average of the 5 people you spend the most time with. Hence, choose your company wisely! 

With the right people around, you up the game. Much like successful batting partnership, your skills get only accentuated with a good non-striker playing along with you.  

 So, the next time, you are investing time on yourself, do have a quick CT scan (Culture – Team) done. And if you are a leader, do ensure enough thought and efforts are put to build the right CT!