We all measure success by some kind of ruler, and this ruler needs to have two characteristics.
It needs to be consistent. So that you can measure ups and downs over time, and maintain the course on the same objective (or set of objectives).
And it needs to be relevant. To you, and to those you seek to serve, your audience, your people.
If you change the ruler, distort the scale, zoom in and zoom out, what you get is not a consistent and relevant measure of your success.
Why would I?
Wear a mask.
Commit to that project.
Take the first step to mend a relationship.
Respect the rules.
Be kind to others.
Pay taxes.
Give back to the community.
Sit down and just listen.
Not lie.
When nobody else is doing it?
It is a way of hiding that lowers the bar. In your family, your company, your circle, your life. Chances are that nobody is acting out of habit, ignorance, laziness. Perhaps all they need is somebody who shows them a different way.
That somebody could be you.
Trust is given, trust is built, trust is broken.
And when it is broken, it needs repairing.
A great way to go about this is to start with “I am sorry”. And honestly stop there. At the very least until the other party signals that they are ready to move forward, under a tacit agreement that trust will not be broken again.
A lazy way to go about this is one of the infinite variations of “it’s not my fault”. For sure, you were busy, a pandemic hit, the circumstances were exceptional, the end of the quarter was around the corner. A wide array of ways to simply say: “listen, I can’t commit, trust will be broken again.”
A bad way to go about this is to pretend nothing happened. To go about your day as if everything was fine, as if no break needed repairing, as if the other person would not be telling you over and over again that there is a problem. This does not lay the ground for any type of future relationship. It is just a loud and clear: “I do not care”.
When a crisis happens, we all want to move on. But if the situation is still bad, just say it is bad, do not try to sell the idea of a positive future that nobody can envision in the moment.
Of course, every crisis bears opportunities, tomorrow will be better, we will all get past it and we will be stronger. The problem is that if your rush past the bad situation, you will delay the time when good will come, you will miss on learning opportunities, and most importantly you will deny all those involved the chance to grieve.
Respect the time for bad.
One thing I like about the competing value framework is that it puts the emphasis on intentional choices when it comes to culture.
You can foster an environment that focuses on results and delivery, and that means you will probably have to forgo the type of company where people work together in harmony. You can prefer to take decisions at the highest levels of the hierarchy and ensure that everything is checked by a manager before it is ready for the public, and that means you will probably not get a lot of new ideas or retain people that seek a purpose in what they do.
Clearly, things can change over time, and extremely successful companies find ways to position towards the center of the matrix. But choices play a key role in defining culture. Whether they are intentional or the product of habits, just do not be surprise when you’ll find yourself exactly where you ought to be.
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