If you have some time to spare over the summer (or the winter, if you’re in the southern hemisphere), how do you recharge? Reading is a great way to both relax and recharge: great novels help you escape from the daily grind while non-fiction helps you learn new ideas and return to work inspired. I asked my network, clients, and …
How could I develop a positive culture?
In this blog, I’ve been reviewing many small, personal ways to contribute to a more positive culture at work. But what if you want to engage your whole organization? In that case, a culture survey might be a good starting point. It helps to map where you are now and where you would like to go and start the conversation. …
Involving and empowering others
Today, let’s focus on developing a positive, productive culture from a leading position, so you can involve more others than as an individual positive agent. How could you work with your team or organization? Invite By involving – I mean inviting others. A positive, productive culture is built on intrinsic motivation and its energy. People contribute because they are energized …
Why do you have meetings?
Are you looking forward to meetings? Many people hear a firm No inside. Meetings are often associated with wasting time and practicing patience. In many organizations, they are the opposite of fun, learning, true connection, positive awareness, and shared purpose. Hence, they do not contribute to a positive culture that needs these four ingredients. Game your meetings As Daniel Mezick …
Are you Downloading, Debating or in Dialogue?
Welcome back to the Positive Power series. Here’s part 3 at the team and organization level of “WE”. Let’s see what interactions you see happening around you. Otto Scharmer discerns four levels of conversation in organizations. Downloading People are talking nice, they are polite. They reenact the rules of conversation. They “download” a conversation format. They hear what they expect …
How do you respond to intimidation?
It’s a beautiful intention to use your personal positive power and be a positive agent. But what about being bullied and intimidated? Some workplaces are toxic or dangerous. I know. It’s for you to decide when you are safe enough to do something about it. Let’s take a quick look at intimidation, bullying, unreasonable negative feedback, harsh criticism or vague …
How do you respond to gossip?
How do you feel when someone gossips or complains about someone else? It depends, of course. It can be great to agree because it creates a feeling of bonding. “The two of us agree and it’s us against that person or that issue”. It can be such a relief to vent. But it may not be what you’d like to …
How to train your listening skills?
The counterpart of Inquiry is Listening. As we are often in telling mode and we value doing over being, listening may not come naturally. I assume that we could all use the exercise below and repeat it from time to time. I myself have to slow down, focus my attention and practice patience. I’m always tempted to jump in and …
What do you ask to influence others?
In our culture of telling, to ask can be judged as ignorance while leaders are supposed to know what to do. Telling is expected and respected. And it feels so good to give advice, thinking we have solved someone else’s problem! But wise leaders use questions to engage people and encourage them to take ownership. Looking at the lack of …
The art of asking
Humble Inquiry is the art of asking questions to which you do not already know the answer. It is building a relationship based on curiosity and interest in the other person, says Edgar Schein in his book Humble Inquiry. Our culture is biased toward telling. When in telling mode, we hope to educate, impress, or to entertain. Western, egalitarian and …
Silence, Violence or Flow?
What kind of interactions are taking place around you? A helpful discernment is whether there is silence, violence, or a natural flow in a conversation – as described in Patterson’s a.o. book Crucial Conversations. In crucial conversations there is a lot at stake and we often hold things inside by going silent until we can take it no longer—and then …
Are you congruent?
In every interaction there are three levels that influence its effect and meaning: What – the content; the words I say How – the process; how I say it (nonverbal communication) Why – the intention; the meaning, what I am trying to accomplish with this interaction. We tend to focus on What people say and are less aware of the …