We have now moved on to 'Culture' within the Arch inspire 5C’s. Over the next 5 weeks I will be sharing some simple tools and key questions I use with my clients to help you consider not only how you can help shape, define and contribute to the culture where you work but also to challenge yourself to consider and develop the culture that surrounds yourself and your own mind-set towards it.
The tools and questions I'll be sharing will benefit you regardless of the role you perform. Culture is the responsibility of everyone not just for managers or leaders to set, shape and drive (they absolutely have a key responsibility, but they cannot and shouldn't do this alone).
I recommended a trainer I know very well this week to a friend of mine and when I was describing them I talked about the impact they made, how they engaged with others and how they made people feel. I always visualise this consultant literally walking into a room creating warmth, openness and trust early on, they are respectful, empathetic and constructively challenging and they also have a great sense of humour - this is the ‘culture’ they have chosen to set for themselves. They display this whether they are with group of people or with one person.
When focusing on culture with clients I often ask them these key questions:
1) What value do you bring to others?
2) What do you do each day that helps others?
3) How would you describe the culture you have set for yourself and what would you like to do to enhance it?
We all know of the mood hoovers in life who can suck up the energy in a room (there will be reasons why they do this) and we also know of those who are what I call 'The Pigs of Happiness' (thanks to Edward Monkton who I am a big fan of), they radiate warmth, energy, kindness and positivity – (this doesn’t mean they are loud or highly extraverted by the way). We can’t be these things all the time but it’s important to consciously consider the impact we have on others at the start of our day, in the middle and at the end of the day.
Do we say hello to those around us, do we say thank you, do we offer to help someone we can see is in need, do we look up from our phone when ordering a coffee or buying our lunch, do we simply ask how someone is? These are all small things that can make a big difference to someone else's day. How often do we listen to others and show interest in others as opposed to just talking about ourselves?
Ask yourself the 3 questions above to start to consider how you can help and lift others around you, share your value and set your self-culture.
Next week I will be sharing some of the key questions I use with clients to help them identify, create and define their work and self-culture.
Happy Friday!
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