I've just started a new contract, and one of the interesting parts of stepping into companies on an interim basis is to get to see how cultures develop, impact individuals and the company as a whole. As anyone who has read my blog previously will know I'm a firm believer that people come first. How we treat each other, and what we believe to be true of others will be our reality. Companies are just the sum of the people within them, and we each have a role to play to make it a successful and enjoyable place to work.
This week I had the chance to speak to the entire team I'm working with and I chose to talk about what I feel is important about work, and how we can bring our best selves there every day. It clearly touched a few people, so I thought I'd share it with you as well.
The fact is we spend more time at work than anywhere else, so to me, for that to be a worthwhile investment, work needs to be a place of learning, development and achievement. It is very easy to lose ourselves in the day-to-day pressures of “getting stuff done” and forget that it is a reciprocal relationship. We offer expertise, effort and time, and in return we should get challenge, development and a sense of personal satisfaction for a job well done. In this lens I challenged my team to do just this and bring their best every day. No matter what your role or in what type of company, team or environment work, I firmly believe we should all bring the best of ourselves to the table every day. By making the choice to make those hours at work the most positive, most productive and most pleasant we can make each day feel worthwhile, valuable and that helps us feel good about ourselves.
I like to have little tricks and tips that can help me ensure I turn up that way every day. From a neurological point of view it's another brain hack. If we can catch ourselves, refocus ourselves frequently we can change our subconscious patterns until it becomes a habit we don't even remember starting.
I do this by asking myself when I finish up for the day. "Can I say I CAME to work today?". (I love an acronym!) my dyslexic brain works better with helping hands. So what does CAME mean....
CAME for me stands for:
Consideration – Did I treat others as I would like to be treated? Did I listen, give people my full attention? (working virtually is evil for being in a meeting and also checking emails...) Did I think about their perspective, where they are coming from and find empathy in my interactions with them?
Attitude – Was my attitude positive? Was I looking to find the good, or focussing on the bad? Within every situation you can always find both – the choice is yours. Did I complain without providing a solution? Did I express my frustrations without consideration? Or did I praise the strengths and seek to support or redress the weaknesses?
Mindset – Was I thinking strategically and commercially? It is hard in larger companies to always feel connected to the reason you are here and to the bottom line. But every day we play our part in both areas. Did I think about the consequences of the decisions I made today? Could I have pointed out that inefficiency or the wastage I saw that could make my role or (even better) that of someone else easier?
Energy – Did I bring high energy today? That doesn’t mean was I loud or extroverted – more was I focussed, “on it” in terms of quality, pace, response, analysis – each role in a company is equally important and playing that role for the 8hrs you are here every day needs to add value.
your CAME may mean different things - Considerate could be Clear, Energy could be Efficient. the point is to define for yourself what bringing you best to work means - what are the behaviours, traits, or skills that would demonstrate you had done so. Then create your CAME out of them.
Once you have an acronym to help you quickly reflect and check in on yourself, the key is to do so.
I ask you to THINK! As you go about you day, occasionally raise your head above the parapet and check in with yourself to see if you CAME to work?
Trust me, try it for a 10 days (2 working weeks). Set the odd reminder in your calendar or on your phone and pop up and ask you the question... Before too long your mind will do it without prompt.... And before too long it will be very easy to say, with true meaning – "I CAME to work today." Until next time,
Blessed Be
