“There are people who cause happiness wherever they go; others, whenever they leave”
Oscar Wilde
Hoping that no one who reads this belongs to the second group to which Wilde refers, I have not stopped thinking for a long time what it means to be part of the first, or how some people manage to generate, naturally, a different atmosphere wherever they go…
Although sometimes we forget, it is much more important than it seems, for our professional (and personal) happiness, to live a happy, exciting, challenging, participative, and even fun work environment every day (whenever I mention this word I remember a student who, some time ago, approached me at the end of one of my classes at the University and confessed that he liked them a lot because they were “very instructive, enriching and even fun”, as if what is interesting could not be, at the same time, dis-angry).
Build a culture in which that space for exchange and growth germinates every day, in which we have the opportunity to learn from others on a daily basis, to make relevant decisions on what affects us or to participate in the achievement of shared goals that will well beyond our sphere of influence, it is something that requires, like almost everything truly valuable, careful reflection, a significant purpose, courage in moving into action and a lot of perseverance to achieve it.
- Slow reflection: Do we really understand what the culture of our organization is like? Culture not only conditions the way in which daily tasks are carried out, goals are established or resources are managed. It also influences, decisively, the degree of commitment and involvement of people and their identification with the organization. Therefore, would it be interesting to be able to identify, objectively, the key features of our culture and which of them are most intense? In other words, and also in the form of a question, can we properly manage teams and people if we do not understand what are the key elements of our organizational culture? Wanting to promote innovation or autonomy in a highly hierarchical context or wanting people to make decisions autonomously overnight after decades of tight control over the most trivial decisions are two simple examples of situations that we have encountered with certain frequency when addressing changes and transformations in organizations.
- Meaningful purpose: The dominant values, beliefs and behaviors are reflected in the day to day of the organization. Leaders’ behaviors (and not only), processes, policies, written and unwritten rules… Normally cultures need to evolve, and if in that process of change there is no clear, significant, relevant purpose for all those who make up the workforce, the road will be complicated. Projecting that purpose into specific values will allow us to have the opportunity to identify which specific behaviors reflect our raison d’être and who should be, ahead of the rest, ambassadors of said behaviors, leading by example from conviction and full conviction.
- Value in action: Deploying effective strategies to manage resistance to change and promote a successful transition is another key stage in facing the challenges of the process. And one of those challenges is to ensure that people are aligned with the values and culture of the organization, either because in the incorporation and onboarding process we have already made sure of it (the easy way) or because we have redirected certain behaviors outsiders towards behaviors similar to our organizational spirit (a more complex path in which, almost certainly, we will not be able to incorporate everyone).
- Perseverance towards achievement: Defined by some as that inner strength that allows one to achieve what one sets out to achieve, I like to complete it with terms such as perseverance, tenacity, dedication, or permanence (and insistence) despite obstacles or discouragement. Good vibrations are not transmitted from the cosmetic or superficial. Good vibrations are transmitted from the being, from our deepest convictions, from our beliefs. And for these vibrations to show up in everyday life, on a regular basis, discipline, character, will and habit may also be needed, attributes possessed by those people who mobilize, drive, excite and, ultimately, drag others.
In short, if in your organization you find yourself, more often than desired, waiting for someone to leave, as Oscar Wilde would say, in an intimate reflection that we (almost) never confess to others, perhaps it is time to review the concept of organizational culture and trying to create an environment that many outstanding organizations know very well.
