Category: culture

leadership dot #4115: footwear

November 25, 2023November 23, 2023by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

There are more ways than ever before to express your personality — hair color, tattoos, clothing, stickers on your water bottle, avatars, nail polish, etc. It used to be that such personal expression was limited in team sports — everyone wore the same uniform and school-issued accessories. No more.

At a recent basketball game, it was a colorful display of shoes. Not just different than white but every player had a different style in multiple colors, some of which were quite noticeable as they ran. You could track a player’s moves more easily by following the neon yellow when they cut across the court and keep the opposing players straight by noting the colors of their shoes. No more uniformity there.

Two thoughts: 1) how can you find ways to give your team latitude in ways that don’t negatively impact the outcomes and 2) when you have freedom of choice, what are you choosing to say by the selections you make? Shoes are more than footwear these days.

leadership dot #4079: orbit

October 20, 2023October 19, 2023by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

Whether due to a desire for collaboration, expansion, or efficiencies, many organizations take on new units as part of their operation. It may result in absorbing a program that was another’s, creating an affiliate or branch outlet, or assuming the support roles that were performed elsewhere.

In many cases, it makes sense for these mergers or partnerships, but it also requires extra effort on everyone’s part. Each entity comes with different cultures, processes, and expectations and care must be taken to acknowledge the differences. It’s similar to blending a family — it takes work to make it “ours.”

Look at what is outside the core of your organization and evaluate whether you provide adequate resources, attention, and promotion of that which orbits the base. To the external person, it’s all one organization. Is it that way internally, or is there an “other”?

leadership dot #2418a: whacked

October 12, 2023October 6, 2023by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

There are probably some people within your organization who do not feel like they have a voice in larger issues or policies, yet some of those people have forfeited their voice by choice. In unhealthy cultures, it is easier to remain quiet, doing your work under the radar rather than paying the price that people who speak up often pay. If raising questions or pointing out issues only results in pushback or creating enemies, why is it worth it? It is often so much easier to just go with the flow.

The same is true about being informed; if you remain blissfully ignorant of the issues, you relinquish your obligation to address them or to engage in finding a solution. You can focus your efforts on the surface instead of tackling the hard stuff that lies underneath.

Cultures that don’t provide the psychological safety and overt encouragement to foster disagreements, challenges and risk-taking fall into a muted rhythm where things hum along without disruption – until they don’t. Avoiding issues does not solve them, rather it just prolongs their emergence and intensifies the reaction that occurs once the festering bubbles to the surface.

If you find yourself in a culture that operates like the old Whac-a-Mole game – where anyone who pops their head out of their hole is beaten down – you have two choices: find a critical mass of “moles” to pop up with you, thus avoiding the silencing of all or find yourself another culture where you can do your best work. It may be uncomfortable to stick your head out and use your voice, but it’s the only way change can really happen.

Originally published in modified form on January 28, 2019

leadership dot #4055: location

September 20, 2023by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

What impressed me most about the Milwaukee School of Engineering campus wasn’t the physical spaces or buildings, but rather the location of the President’s Office. It was prominently and visibly located overlooking the student dining area, thereby conveying a powerful message about the school’s culture.

Most leaders are tucked away in the corners of an administration floor, far from the interactions with mid-level employees, let alone customers. But this design chose to place the president adjacent to the student hub where they could be reminded daily of who they were serving.

Think about what the location of your offices says. Are the leaders positioned so that they have occasional and chance encounters with others who aren’t part of the hierarchy? Does the floor plan create unnecessary divisions and reinforce status differences? Could morale and interaction be improved with a change in proximity? Don’t underestimate how location serves to communicate culture.

leadership dot #3092a: toxic

September 3, 2023August 30, 2023by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

Having a toxic person on your staff is equivalent to putting a squeeze of food coloring in a bowl of water. While it may only be one drop, the dye will certainly impact all the liquid and before long the entire contents will be colored.

If you have evidence of toxicity – through bullying, power plays, undermining others, deceit, or omission – do not pause a moment before addressing it. Even one person can taint the entire culture.

Originally published in modified form on December 2, 2020

leadership dot #3914: unseen

April 26, 2023April 25, 2023by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

I came across an uninstalled fire hydrant, the first I have seen just lying on the ground. It reminded me of the iceberg analogy — where you only see a small portion while the majority remains hidden.

The fire hydrant is a vehicle to access a larger system; without this connection, it would be worthless. The same is true in organizations — you may have the people, but without the interlocking relationships and shared knowledge individuals have very little power.

Pay attention to the infrastructure in your organization — building trust, creating a safe climate, and appreciating your team for the contributions they make. What is unseen is what creates the impact.

leadership dot #3911: go bananas

April 23, 2023April 21, 2023by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

Inspiration can come from anywhere, and if you’re looking for some energy around creating a guest experience you should check out The Savanah Bananas. They are as non-traditional of a baseball team as you can find — the Harlem Globetrotters of the diamond — but their crazy formula is working — with a sell-out for every game and a 500,000-person waitlist!

The Bananas are a collegiate summer league team in Georgia with the goal of making baseball fun. They provide as much entertainment as athleticism with stunts like players on stilts, players wearing kilts, hitting with a bat on fire, choreographed dancing by players on the field, and senior citizen cheerleaders. Oh, and they win the league championship, too.

The owners are trying to “create the best fan experience in the world” so have taken steps to eliminate all the annoying aspects that usually come with attending a game. There are no ticket fees, service fees, or convenience fees. There is no advertising in the stadium. The ticket price even includes food and drinks!

Replicating the full Bananas experience may not work for everyone, but I’m sure there are elements that you could adapt. Check out some of their online videos and find ways to go bananas with an aspect of your organization.

See Savannah Bananas or Jesse Cole (owner) on LinkedIn
or Books by Jesse Cole: Fans First, Find Your Yellow Tux, or Banana Ball

leadership dot #3910: chairs

April 22, 2023April 21, 2023by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

My medical clinic was recently renovated and what I noticed more than the new paint, carpet, or fancy stone walls were the new chairs. The new seating was designed to accommodate various body types and physical needs. There were regular seats, some oversized, some double-sized (like for a parent and a child), and some taller for those who have difficulty bending down to traditional seating levels. It was obvious that the variety was intentional and it showed a caring recognition of the clientele.

Have you looked at your lobby through this lens? Do you have spaces to make your visitors feel comfortable, whether they are 3 years old or 300 pounds? Have you accommodated space for wheelchairs and those who accompany them? Does your building feel welcoming and reflect the culture of your organization?

Your seating arrangements can be another way to live into your value of inclusivity.

leadership dot #3902: community

April 14, 2023April 13, 2023by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

The Gallup Research organization studied over a million respondents in 160 countries and asked what the “best possible future” would look like for them, then analyzed that data to determine five elements of wellbeing. Four of the themes were not surprising to me: career wellbeing (you like what you do), social wellbeing (you have friendships), financial wellbeing (you manage your money well), and physical wellbeing (you have energy). But I would not have guessed the fifth element: community wellbeing — you like where you live.

Gallup found that if people felt connected to their community, it helped them feel a sense of belonging and connection to something bigger than themselves and to a purpose beyond their career. Community involvement begets community pride and contributes to wellbeing. The findings suggest that involvement on a local level — both as individuals and organizations — can facilitate engagement and thriving.

Consequently, not liking where you live or being negatively impacted by the policies enacted by leaders in your jurisdiction can cause people to struggle or even suffer in ways that I don’t think we have accounted for in our quest to foster wellbeing for ourselves or our employees.

As you continue on your wellbeing journey, consider the role your community plays. Can you become more involved in local issues or social outlets to feel a greater connection to where you live? Can your organization make a greater contribution of resources to foster pride in where you call home base? Could you place a higher priority on volunteering or serving as an ambassador for your community?

Home Sweet Home becomes much more than a needlepoint slogan.

Source: Wellbeing at Work: How to Build Resilient and Thriving Teams by Jim Clifton and Jim Harter, 2021, Gallup Press

leadership dot #3896: platitudes

March 28, 2023March 26, 2023by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

The old Field of Dreams movie slogan “If you build it, they will come” seems to have morphed into an organizational mantra of “If we say it, it must be true.”

I hear it espoused when talking about organizational culture and when organizations boast about a great work environment when I know the reality to be different. I hear bosses say that they welcome feedback and have an open-door policy but I privately hear their staff members are afraid to speak up. I see organizations proclaim their commitment to diversity and inclusion but continue to take actions that are the opposite of support.

Just because you put a nice saying in your lobby or orientation packets doesn’t make it so. The real evidence shows up in behavior, not platitudes.