The Glue That Keeps High-Performance Teams Together
Culture is not the ping-pong table.Culture is not the Keurig.Culture is not the ability to hang out with the people on your team after work.
Somehow, this is what many people think.
Culture is “Do you believe what I believe?”Culture is the alignment of core values.Culture is how we treat each other when it gets hard.
This is the glue that makes great teams excel.
No team can withstand the barometric pressure at the altitude of high-performance without having the trust and support of good culture.People don’t leave bad jobs, they leave bad managers.
2 Minute Action
Who is someone you haven’t connected with deeply in a while?Who is someone that maybe is on the outskirts of your team and is waiting to be included?Take 2 minutes to say “hi,” today. Ask them about something they are interested in. Make sure you don’t walk away without them knowing you care about them.That’s culture.Recognizing others and making people around you know that you value them.
It's Not Your Fault, But It Is Your Responsibility
The skills that were taught in school are mostly irrelevant.
Sure, there are basics like math and reading--but even now, the average reading level in the US is 8th grade.
It's not your fault, but it is your responsibility.
It's not fair, for sure.
The sooner we accept and adjust, the sooner we can get moving.
What skills are relevant for your success, today?How about in 10 years?
There are basic, fundamental skills that are required in everything you do.
Some of these are reading, writing, and math.
Then, there are multiplier skills, which help you get better at other skills.
Some of these are discipline, focus, and work ethic.
There are also transferrable skills which are more advanced and can be useful across any field.
Some of these are project management, negotiation, and leadership.
It's not your fault you were never taught these things.
But it is no one's responsibility but yours to make sure you practice, learn, and successfully implement these skills.
2 Minute Action:
Take 2 minutes to identify which of these skills you feel you are good at.Which ones are you bad at?Now is the time to commit to improving 1 of those weaknesses.The world is your oyster. "I don't know how" is a poor excuse.You have the internet, professional counselors, universities, and a supercomputer in your pocket.
"You have everything you need to build something bigger than yourself."- Seth Godin
One Simple Trick To A Productive Team
Most will agree: employees don’t leave bad jobs.They leave bad managers.The employee of the month program isn’t working.There are only so many “atta boy’s” that can land effectively.Without recognizing the hard work and sacrifices of your team, you alienate them and build resentment.Resentment is not a great emotion for productivity.The weird thing is that it really only takes a minute to make someone on your team feel like what they do matters.And when people feel good about the work they’re doing, they tend to do more of it and they tend to do it better.Go figure.
2 Minute Action:
Look someone in the eye and tell them why what they did was great.Be specific. Tell them exactly what was so great and the difference it makes to your project.