Living Simple Rules

 

I am a big proponent of the notion that #1SimpleThing can change everything. Just think what might happen if you turned left instead of right at the next intersection, accepted one job offer over another, or met and swapped stories with a stranger sitting next to you on an airplane. The Butterfly Effect - that a butterfly flapping its wings in South America can affect the weather in New York City - is alive and well.

Influence is an interesting concept: the smallest gesture or deed can in fact trigger a memory, brainstorm, or feeling that propels you in a new and exciting direction. Or reminds you of what is really important.

Yesterday, a colleague shared this bit of wisdom with me, and it resonated. "Treat every interaction as if it makes a difference." What a lovely thought; perhaps it's a Simple Rule for you to reflect on.

 

Confidence does not have to equate with bravado and brass. Often the best leaders engender loyalty, trust and fellowship through quiet poise and conviction.

Recently I met one such individual. She did not have the loudest voice nor did she choose to be the center of the group.  In fact, you might easily pass her by in the hall. Still, you knew she was someone when she entered the room; and everyone wanted to hear what she had to say.

I came away from the meeting with this short list of simple rules in my head. Pardon my assumptions but I wonder what she would think of these. I will ask her next time.

• Take a stand. It’s not about being right; it’s about being secure in your beliefs and open to other points of view.
• Listen more than you speak. Opportunities to learn and grow are all around; be open to them.
• Ask questions. Strength lies in honesty, curiosity, and recognizing one’s limitations.
• Acknowledge, appreciate and reward others. None of us are alone, nor can we do everything by ourselves. Relationships are a gift to be valued.
• Own your actions. We are accountable to ourselves, our communities, and the world.

What do you think? Do you know this person? Are YOU this person?

As a counterpoint to the last story, here is another list of (not quite) Simple Rules on how to ruin the office culture. They come courtesy of Employee Benefit News and certainly provide some food for thought. I believe culture comes from the top, so what is the culture you and your leaders are creating and sustaining? And by the way, just how do YOU manage?

•  Hold the positive feedback, provide negative feedback. After all, why should employees feel good about themselves? And really, positive feedback is just “the cotton candy of HR tactics.”
• Take credit for the work of others. After all, you hired them, right?
• Get employees to hyper-compete with each other. After all, this leaves the most talented individuals standing, separating the producers from the non-producers.
• Ignore the great ideas of your employees. After all, are you even listening to them?
• Keep dead weight around, but fire talent for no reason. After all, it’s best to keep your employees off-balance.
• Keep tabs on employees by stalking social media. After all, it’s probably not illegal yet in your state, so keep sniffing around for the good stuff.
• Haze outgoing employees. After all, they have some nerve! Besides, "People quitting your organization are quitters.”
• Ignore work-life balance. After all, your employees were hired to be at work and that’s where you always expect them to be.

What’s wrong with this picture? Yes, this is the way it is at some organizations. Is this your organization?  

I recently came across an article on what we could learn from U.S. Presidents. Well, you could no doubt write a book … and in all fairness I see Part One: What to Do, and then Part Two: What Not to Do.

So each of us would do well to pay attention to the following list of Simple Rules. After all, the complexity around us - particularly when it comes to increased globalization and shifting social, economic, and political winds - brings choices and opportunity along with challenges and uncertainty. These rules are borrowed liberally from that online article and the source book, Winning the Long Game: How Strategic Leaders Shape the Future by Steven Krupp and Paul J.H. Schoemaker.

The last two rules are my own, and should probably head the list. What do you think?

• Anticipate change.
• Challenge convention.
• Interpret signals.
• Decide with conviction.
• Align stakeholders.
• Learn from failure.
• Act with intention.
• Do no harm.