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But once every 5 to 10 meetings, find a way to break the script.
Leaders who want to instill an ethical business culture—and not just mouth the words of a toothless “statement of values”—will take inspiration from Gentile and make practice a priority. Because the situations that lead to unethical behavior are predictable:
You can’t deliver a great patient experience without first delivering a great employee experience.
They agreed on a new vision statement for Sharp: To transform the health care experience and make Sharp: • The best place for employees to work • The best place for physicians to practice • The best place for patients to receive care
After his speech, people were given the opportunity to volunteer for one of 100 “action teams” in areas such as employee satisfaction, patient satisfaction, and reward and recognition. The response was extraordinary: 1,600 people volunteered—agreeing to shoulder extra work in support of the mission. “When we finished that first session,” Rhodes said, “people were crying, hugging, high-fiving . . . even the naysayers had tears in their eyes.” One executive who had been skeptical of the event’s value told her afterward, We need to do this every quarter.
Fueled by the action teams, change seemed to happen on all fronts at once. Measurement systems changed, policies changed, habits changed. And as a result, the patient experience began to change. Sharp staffers found ways to deliver extraordinary service.
Did this transformation happen in a day at the convention center? Hardly. It took many years and the efforts of thousands of people. But the All-Staff Assembly was the first defining moment of the change.
for groups, defining moments arise when we create shared meaning—highlighting the mission that binds us together and supersedes our differences. We are made to feel united. How do you design moments that knit groups together? Sharp’s leaders used three strategies: creating a synchronized moment, inviting shared struggle, and connecting to meaning.
Should we foist hardship on our employees for the sake of creating defining moments? Not quite. But it’s worth observing that people will choose to struggle—not avoid it or resist it—if the right conditions are present. The conditions are: The work means something to them; they have some autonomy in carrying it out; and it’s their choice to participate or not.
Autonomy, Team Self-selection - FAST Agile!!!
If you want to be part of a group that bonds like cement, take on a really demanding task that’s deeply meaningful. All of you will remember it for the rest of your lives.
To create moments of connection, we can bring people together for a synchronizing moment. We can invite them to share in a purposeful struggle. The final strategy centers on connecting them to a larger sense of meaning.
people with a strong sense of meaning tended to have the highest performance
Purpose is defined as the sense that you are contributing to others, that your work has broader meaning.
People who were passionate about their jobs—who expressed high levels of excitement about their work—were still poor performers if they lacked a sense of purpose.
Purpose trumps passion.
Passion is individualistic. It can energize us but also isolate us, because my passion isn’t yours. By contrast, purpose is something people can share. It can knit groups together.
Organizational leaders should learn to cultivate purpose—to unite people who might otherwise drift in different directions, chasing different passions.
these differences in behavior were produced by nothing more dramatic than a 30-minute session, in which the lifeguards read four stories and talked about them. Truly a small-caps “defining moment.” But its impact was real.
“connecting to meaning”—finding ways to remind people of their purpose.
Connecting to meaning matters. Not all of us save lives or serve patients. Sometimes purpose can be less tangible. What’s the guiding “purpose” for the marketing collateral team or the server administrators or the benefits group in HR? They all have a purpose, of course. Sometimes it’s useful to keep asking, “Why?” Why do you do what you do? It might take several “Whys” to reach the meaning.
When you understand the ultimate contribution you’re making, it allows you to transcend the task list.
A sense of purpose seems to spark “above and beyond” behaviors.
1. Do I know what is expected of me at work? 2. Do I have the materials and equipment I need to do my work right? 3. Do I have the opportunity to do what I do best every day? 4. In the last seven days, have I received recognition or praise for good work? (Validation.) 5. Does my supervisor, or someone at work, seem to care about me as a person? (Caring.) 6. Is there someone at work who encourages my development? (Understanding. Caring.)
we challenged a group of readers as follows: “Sometime in the next week, when you’re having a conversation with a friend or family member, push intentionally beyond small talk. Share something real—maybe it’s a challenge/struggle you’re facing at home or work. Make yourself vulnerable and trust that your partner will reciprocate, allowing you to take the conversation to a higher level.”
Relationships don’t deepen naturally. In the absence of action, they will stall. As Elam said above, “we were strictly peers at work and really knew very little about each other beyond our roles at the company.” That’s a frozen relationship.
To spark moments of connection for groups, we must create shared meaning. That can be accomplished by three strategies: (1) creating a synchronized moment; (2) inviting shared struggle; and (3) connecting to meaning.
Groups bond when they struggle together. People will welcome a struggle when it’s their choice to participate, when they’re given autonomy to work, and when the mission is meaningful.
“Connecting to meaning” reconnects people with the purpose of their efforts. That’s motivating and encourages “above and beyond” work.
According to the psychologist Harry Reis, what deepens individual relationships is “responsiveness”: mutual understanding, validation, and caring.
Responsiveness coupled with openness leads to intimacy. It happens via “turn-taking.”
The executives are fed up with the lack of collaboration. Their teams aren’t at war, really—they are just too comfortable staying in their own spheres. The two leaders are determined to get their teams working together more effectively, but they know it will require a shock to the system.
that’s the charge for all of us: to defy the forgettable flatness of everyday work and life by creating a few precious moments. What if every organization in the world offered new employees an unforgettable first-day experience?
