Culture - the Unintentional Reward

From IMPACT4Q - Time for Control, Chapter 11

Culture –  IMPACT4Q is Steeped in Science, AND Critical to Culture  
Yet Another Egg or Chicken Debate

We explored the possible unintentional but powerful effects of implementing  on culture in each quadrant chapter. To round out that discussion, reflect on your organisation, or on your preference for the culture of the organisation you work within, or as a business owner, the culture you are creating.

Would you like to work within a culture where:

• The leadership actively engages with you at least twice daily
• You are coached and mentored, and your delegations and expectations are clarified, and deliberate
• The team shares tricky problems, and encourages and rewards brainstorming and cross-organisational solutions, prior to escalating to the managers above
• You have been gifted knowledge to take home to your family, or your home, that has given you a sense of rhythm, routine and measurably decreasing your stress at home
• Your outcomes and goals for the week, month and year are transparent and the deliverable dates known. You and your team are held accountable to deliver to these agreed dates
• You have a sense of control, decreased stress and, though busy, your energy is sustaining you; most importantly, you have space and passion for those outside of work.

Of course, you do. You’d be a numpty if you didn’t wish for these things. The debate remains, should you work on culture first or introduce IMPACT4Q?

My thoughts – I keep reflecting on how good I am giving you my thoughts, talking at you, rather than with you, but there you go. Listening or at least a little curious?

Story Time

Recently I was approached by a newly appointed CE of an organisation (let’s call her Mary-Anne, for the sake of the story). She has walked into a den of poor behaviours; 110 people who, if you lined them up with Patrick Lencioni’s the Five Dysfunctions of a Team,* are over performing (to the negative):

1. Absence of trust
2. Fear of conflict
3. Lack of commitment
4. Avoidance of accountability
5. Inattention to detail.

Her organisation was an absolute reflection of the five behaviours above. As a passionate leader, newly appointed, and based on her years of executive training and courses, coupled with her business coach’s best advice, her first focus was culture. To line up the ELT, articulate her non-negotiables about behaviours and drive an organisational culture change.

Cogitate on what you would you do. Similar? Articulate values, behaviours, how we’re going to speak to each other, how we’re going to interact, what we’re going to focus on?

I’m always fascinated with the psychology first or mechanics (physiology) first discussion that I’m encapsulated within. My deep belief is that whether our words are true (in this case a new CE who speaks of a broken culture), when someone arriving from the outside, tells us, that ‘our’ culture is broken, particularly the ELT members who have been leading this ‘broken culture’, our human response is to reject or push back. By being told that our culture needs fixing, we receive that we are broken and as leaders, we are at least partly responsible. Surely if we’d been any good as leaders we wouldn’t have allowed the culture to ‘be broken’?

I challenge you to explore changing the mechanics of the organisation through embracing IMPACT4Q; addressing the how we work, and when we work, enabling the unintentional reward to follow. My truth is, inspiring leaders committed to sustainable peak performance, will empower individuals to be able to:

• Gain 20% control of the rhythm of their day
• Reduce their overload and feelings of being hamsters or surrounded by hungry monkeys
• See and feel real leadership through the Q3 coaching and nurture process
• Be led by consistently engaged leaders, who are accountable to them.

And only then will we have clear heads and calm dispositions to engage in further clarification of how we wish to feel every day when we work within this team.

IMPACT4Q is a culture piece by default. You cannot not address culture when implementing IMPACT4Q – but it is a stealthy and inventive method to allow authentic change to occur (willingly so), hand-in-hand with measurable profitability, increased engagement and decreased angst.

The science is indisputable. Focusing, controlling and applying rhythm to our worlds increases our IQ, allows space and energy for EQ, and nurtures sustainable peak performance. Knock yourself out with Dr Sahar’s (Berkeley) thesis. Athlete, business person, mother, father, human –  IMPACT4Q can and will provide a structure on which to hang your daily routines. Take the bits that interest you, ignore those that don’t, write your bespoke routine, but know this – for the very best effect, the attaining of the very best life to be lived, this is a grand place to start.

I hope you are able to implement a portion of the routines and rhythms that we’ve explored in Time For Control. Through experience, I can, without any doubt, state that life without rhythm and control, is a life of chaos, stress and unnecessary overwhelm. 

Reflecting on my earlier declared vision, to take neuro-geek-speak and make it available and accessible in neuro-plain-speak. To take what is a deep and often an incredibly inaccessible subject and make it as shallow as a puddle, so that you and I can implement these tools and models into our lives and allow each of us, to ‘serve ourselves, so we can serve others’.

My reminder to you to: find yourself an amazing counsellor, business coach, personal coach, psychologist, spiritual guru, religious leader or someone who will walk with you through your personal journey of growth.

And though I may never get to cook for you, I trust that through sharing this model, you may experience an increase in your joy, a measurable decrease in stress and feelings of overwhelm. My heartfelt aspiration; for you to wake every morning full of hope, joy, and with the freedom to choose the person you wish to be. To have control of the little bits of your life that you can; to realise and release the pieces that are outside of your control. To be a leader of passion, deep nurture, great inspiration, and have meaningful relationships with those you love and respect. As the rhythm of your day becomes easier, may you be enabled to embrace the serving of others.  

May some of my learnings be yours.

Perhaps we’ll see each other for a summer gin – or a winter red. Perhaps we shall ‘retreat’ together? Costa Rica anyone?

Be well, go hard.

 

*Patrick Lencioni | www.tablegroup.com and www.workinggenius.comAuthor: Patrick M. Lencioni.