E-couragement: Revealed--The Secret to an Engaging Culture (Part 1)
“All compromise is based on give and take, but there can be no give and take on fundamentals. Any compromise on mere fundamentals is surrender.” Mahatma Gandhi My search for the secret to solving the disengagement crisis in our workplace took an interesting turn a few years back. That’s when I had an “aha” moment during half-time of a professional football game. It happened when the on-field announcer conducted a brief interview with each coach as they led their team into the locker room. The announcer first approached the coach whose team was ahead. This coach was in a good place. In business terms it might be equivalent to thriving with increased productivity and profitability. The question was, “Coach, what will you tell your team during half-time to ensure they stay on top and win this game?” The coach responded, “I’m gonna tell my team that in order to win this game we’ve got to continue with the fundamentals. If we execute our blocking and tackling, we’ll have a good chance to win.”
The announcer then hustled over to the losing coach. You might say they were in turbulent “business” times—profits were down and competition was tough. The announcer asked virtually the same question, “Coach, what will you tell your team during half-time to motivate them, lift them up, and perhaps snatch victory from the jaws of defeat?” The coach’s response shocked me, “I’m gonna tell my team that in order to get back in this game we’ve got to start executing the fundamentals. If we come out in the second half and execute our blocking and tackling, we’ll have a chance to get back in and win this game.”
WOW! There I was watching two teams in very different circumstances. One team was thriving while the other was fighting to survive. Yet, both had the same strategy—execute the fundamentals. No trick plays. No top secret game plan. You see, the biggest secret of all is that there are NO secrets. The things that you need to succeed in football, business, or life have been right beside you all along. This reality might make some people sad. There seems to be a romantic notion that you can stumble across a pot of gold or discover the treasure chest of success. I hope that others will feel a sense of joy in that the answers you need are so readily available. They’re not elusive gems, but plain old fundamentals.
Realizing that there’s nothing new under the sun (Ecclesiastes 1:9) got me thinking about leading engaging cultures. What might be the fundamental principles that leaders can execute to re-engage their teams or keep them engaged? What timeless tools can be applied to yield successful results within a work culture? Nothing slick, fancy, or secret about it. After studying my clients, scouring the literature, and reviewing my own successes and failures, I’ve come up with nine fundamental principles that leaders can use to create loyal, committed, and engaging cultures. The only thing is, they’ll be provided in your next E-couragement (Tuesday October 5th). I look forward to sharing these principles with you in two weeks. When you use them— transformation will take place in your team or organization.
Leave Your Comments: What fundamental principles have you applied in your own work/life and found to be useful?