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.
The Unusual Reason Listerine Is So Successful
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How many times have you gotten this within 2 seconds of hitting a new website or page?
How bad is that?We just met!Now you want me to upgrade? I haven't even used your product yet!
The first interaction someone has with you, your service, or your product, should be positive.
The first thing that should happen is that they get something. They feel good for making the decision to hit your page, buy your product, or hire you for the job.The first thing they need is a hit of dopamine to reinforce their behavior.Sounds a little mechanical but that's how brains work.
Stimulus. Behavior. Reinforcement.
EXAMPLE:Listerine doesn't need to be painful.But the marketing team found out that when consumers got "feedback" from the product, they felt like it was "working."They continued to use the product.You have to make your own ethical decision about whether the ends justify the means, but that's up to you.All I can share is what I know works.
2 Minute Action
What's the first interaction someone has with you, your brand, or your product?An email? A cold sales call? A welcome desk at your office?It only takes 2 minutes to come up with something small you can do, offer, or say within the first 2 minutes of meeting a new customer to make them sure that they made the right choice.Lollipops for their kids.A cold bottle of water.A cable to charge their iPhone.It's little things like these that your customers, clients, patients, or students will remember and then tell others about.
The 3 Steps To Get Past Ruminating
Today, I was overcome with anger.I was faced with an outcome I had no control over.I couldn't control it. I couldn't change it. I couldn't delete it.
I actually stopped being productive almost my entire evening. It totally shut me down.
The hard part isn't preventing these things or figuring out how to control them in the moment. There are many things that are impossible to prevent or control.
The hard part is accepting them and moving on quickly.
The good news is that you get another shot at life every day.The sun continues to rise and provide a brand new start.It's up to you to accelerate your acceptance and adjust to reality.If you can't do it by yourself, enlist support.
There is no return-on-investment for ruminating.
There are 3 main steps to moving from uncontrollable problem to controllable solution:
- Awareness.
- Acceptance.
- Action.
You have the power to get yourself back in the saddle.
2 Minute Action
Give yourself the pep talk.Have you ever done this before?Pull yourself aside.Go for a walk, step into the restroom, or sit in your car for a second.Give yourself 2 minutes to accept what's going on around you as reality and give yourself permission to get back on the horse.