Work Makes Us - Meeting Notes Newsletter

Hey,

Hope you are all doing safe and well. It's been a decent week here at Lambert Towers, I hope you've had an equally good week.

To be fair, the weather is garbage here in the UK, but it's looking like we may get some summer sun at some point. I'll also be taking a little break over August for a holiday.

Today we're chatting about life and work, and how, if we're not careful, work may make us into someone we don't wish to be.

I'll also share a link worthy of your energy and attention, and links to content from the Cultivated Editorial Desk.

For those new to the Meeting Notes newsletter, welcome.

I’m Rob, Chief Ecological Officer at Cultivated Management. Every two weeks I publish this newsletter about envisioning bright futures of work, as well as tips and advice on improving communication skills - a genuine super power in the world of work.

Work makes us

There's a kind of circular experience that happens to us in the workplace.

On the one hand we make work. We get stuff done, we solve problems, we sometimes create problems, we ship value and we sometimes make more work for other people.

We make work. We do stuff. We ship stuff. We create value.

But that's not all that happens in work. Work also makes us who we are.

Every interaction, our colleagues behaviours, our leadership role modelling, our culture, the rules, process, incentives, goals, our action, the action of others, our responses, the career ladder, feedback, announcements - they all make us who we are.

Many people don't acknowledge this, or see it, or want to believe it's true, but it is true; we are being influenced all of the time by the people we work with, the work we do, the environment we work in.

We are growing in skills, awareness, capability. We are learning what is considered right, normal, in line with the business norms. We are learning what works and what does not. Our behaviours morph due to feedback, other people's behaviours, the words other people choose.

We cannot help but be influenced and changed by our work and the workplace. We don't exist in a vacuum. We can't keep everything away from us. We are always adapting to the society we find ourselves in.

If this is so, then maybe the following ideas may resonate.

1. If we are in charge of the system of work and the society of the business (i.e. you're a leader or manager), what can you do to make sure your workplace enriches the lives of all who work in it?
   1. In other words, if our work, workplace and people are "making other people who they are" - what can we do to make sure that's a positive experience, with positive outcomes?
2. If we acknowledge that everything in work is influencing who we are becoming, we stand a chance of putting up filters, boundaries, edges, and ultimately making choices about how we wish to be influenced.
   1. How can we add boundaries, what do we want to prevent, are there some toxic aspects of work creeping into who we are?
3. We may be influenced by those who've already let work affect who they wished to become. For those who have seen my How to Thrive talk, you'll know I introduce Mr Freaking Furious. He was the outcome of a toxic workplace - he wasn't like that before he started working there. Work really can morph us.
4. If we do see ourselves being influenced, changed and "made" into someone we don't wish to become, what can we do?
   1. I know for a fact that when you take someone who exhibits toxic behaviours or poor performance out of a company or team (or give them feedback), and into another one with a different culture, they can sometimes shine. They're like a different person. The same is true for us - are we in a workplace that is breaking us? Or building us up?
   2. We really do tend to adopt the culture of the team we are in. Do we need a new culture, a new team, a new challenge?
5. Is who you are becoming someone you wish to become? If not, why not? What needs to change?
6. What are our boundaries and when do we need to hold the line?
   1. What are the consequences of standing up for ourselves?
   2. If we don't stand up for ourselves, or others, how can we reconcile that later in life?
7. Are we building a company that makes us better at the end of the journey?

A few things to ponder. Deep. Meaningful things to ponder. But trust me, you are being influenced, made and nudged in everyday work and life. We need to understand whether we are becoming who we wish to be, or being made into someone else by our work.

Standing up for what is right, putting up boundaries and working out how to stop work nudging us in the wrong direction, are essential skills in the modern workplace.

And just remember Mr Freaking Furious. He was furious because he let work make him that way. He let work turn him into a bitter and broken person. He wasn't like that when he started working there. The business leaders in his company didn't intend for that to happen (I hope). His colleagues didn't mount a campaign to break his spirit. He let it happen, not necessarily consciously.

It can happen to us too if we're not careful.

We sometimes wait too long to do something about it, we don't put up the right boundaries, we work too hard, we give too much to the company, we let ourselves drift from who we were trying to become. We often do this with good intentions - only to find out it may not have been the right thing for us.

Keep an eye on who you're becoming and ponder whether you're heading in the right direction.

Do you need more boundaries, do you need to find another job, can you resist the influence, are you in the right place already?

It's not easy. In fact, it's likely the hardest thing you will face in your career. It's not the corporate ladder, the next job, the work, the company, the change you seek to make in the world - they are all worthy things. The hard task is not letting our careers, work and workplace change is into someone we don't wish to be. It's hard to do this, but it's probably, at least in my experience, one of the most important things you can do.

And if you're building a team or company, what can you do to build a bright future for the business, where people thrive, work gets done - and the society of work enriches the lives of all who work in the company?

Work should enrich us. It should be joyful. We spend so much time at work.

Leaders and managers, in the pursuit of growth, profit and value, often don't consider the impact this has on people. Balance is needed. But we also carry much of the burden, to make sure we're not letting work make us into someone we're not supposed to be. It's hard. But it's worth the effort.

Cultivated Editorial Desk

Been a busy last couple of weeks:

1. Article - Does listening to music help us be healthier and more productive
2. Podcast and Article - How to use friction and reward as a tool for business improvement
3. Learning Note - Elements of graphic design
4. Article - Creative Problem Solving in work, my process and ideas to weave in creativity

A link worth of energy and attention

A short article worthy of energy and attention today. Seth Godin on why system changes are the only changes worth making. The same is true in work by the way 😄

If you enjoyed this content then please consider:

• Sharing this content with others you feel would get value from it.
• Downloading the free ebook 10 Behaviours of effective employees.
• Buying the “Take A Day Off” book for an insightful read and cool artwork
• Sitting the online communication workshop to develop your super power in work.

P.S - If you need some consulting or coaching support, or fancy an energising talk, then check out the services on offer.

It means a lot. Thank you

Rob..