“The Perfect Office Culture…
…probably doesn’t exist, but that shouldn’t stop us from trying to provide an environment where everyone feels trusted, empowered and a part of the team.”
So says Keith Robinson, the author of To-Done!, a regularly updated collection of thoughts, writings, tips, tricks and information on personal productivity, work/life balance and getting things done. He is also a contributor to Lifehacker – currently one of my favourite daily reads.
His recent post, titled Empowerment and Office Culture, suggests that if you work in an office culture absent of trust, you will not do your best work. Or, if you’re a leader, creating an office culture that lacks trust will stunt productivity. This is not a new statement, nor is it a complex concept, and yet Keith’s questions still ring true:
Do you work with someone who can’t seem to do things on their own?
What about someone who questions everything that crosses their desk?
Someone who never asks for permission and is always begging for forgiveness?
Or the micro-management type, who needs to be involved with everything at all times?
He goes on to say, “Just about everywhere I’ve worked there has been almost as much “positioningâ€? as there has been working. You may have heard or experienced the terms “empire buildingâ€?, “roadblockingâ€?, “micro-managementâ€?, “mucky-muckâ€?, etc. Those are bad words. Words I hope to never use again.”
Why? Because those phrases are warning signals – signposts to a culture of mistrust. Within the TomorrowToday.biz network we believe that successful business relationships are built on:
Shared Value
Everyone knows what they do best, and knows how they fit in – everyone has a role
Shared Intent
A common goal (or vision if you’re a boomer :))
Shared Trust
We don’t question motives, but we do provide critical feedback
We don’t have it perfect, but we’re trying our best.
Also of interest:
My post at TomorrowConnecting about the Art of GTD (Getting Things Done)
Re-imagining office culture
