Culture In Action

  • Home
  • About
  • Teams
  • Individuals
  • Book
  • Contact
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter

You are here: Home / Archives for leadership

Two Paths Toward Gender Equality and Diversity

November 19, 2017 by greg ranstrom

Will you take the dangerous path or the smart track toward gender equality and diversity?

Healthy organizations are moving toward gender equality and eliminating bias regarding race, ethnicity, religion, profession, geography, age, etc. 21st-century organizations may well be the first to experience the profound benefits of inclusion. Bias will not ever be completely eliminated, but the more inclusive organizations will thrive while the exclusive (and abusive) ones will wither.

You have a choice to take one of two paths toward a more inclusive workplace. One track is risky, costly and painful. The other route is just straight-up, disciplined work. Most people understand what the first path looks like, but we rarely get a view into how the best companies build inclusive and thriving cultures.

We know what the first steps on the dangerous path look like because we read almost daily examples in the news. The recent #metoo disclosures, Uber, and Fox News all come immediately to mind and the devastating accounts of the biased and abusive behaviors. We rarely get to see what the second path looks like because well-run and inclusive workplaces are less newsworthy.

The Dangerous Path (avoid this!)

This journey begins with lawsuits, terminations, customer revolts, brand destruction, and, ultimately, destruction of shareholder value. Unfortunately, for these cases, the responses rarely address the root issues. External audits and recommendations don’t fix broken cultures.  We want to believe we can pull out a few bad apples, but the problem is with the lousy barrel and the biased barrel makers.  Disciplined leadership, distributed throughout the organization, acting over time, is the only solution to these entrenched, systemic problems.

The Better Path (do this!)

The better first step toward an inclusive workplace demands the engagement of the powerful. If the influential people don’t care, then very little will change. Start with the board, executive team, and key employees. Set diversity goals immediately: 50/50 male-female and other diversity to match the communities in which you operate. Set realistic milestones and hold each other accountable.

Building diversity at the top can be a struggle at first, but it is much easier than most people think. Let’s take an extreme (but still too familiar) example of an all-male executive team. You don’t have to fire 50% of the top team to make room for others. Instead, look for creative ways to distribute power. Most successful organizations are moving toward network leadership models and away from pyramid or matrixed hierarchies. Use these organizational shifts to your advantage and promote or import diverse employees to influential positions in the network. Seize opportunities like HP did in 2015 when it diverged into two companies. Each board retained some original members and added women and people of color to reflect better the communities that the companies serve.

Diversity by itself won’t ensure an inclusive workplace culture, but it is the first step on the path. Once the diversity goals, milestones, and methods are in place, then you can begin to build a multipronged approach toward a thriving and inclusive company culture.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: bias, culture, diversity, gender, gender equality, inclusion, leadership, metoo

Leadership & Ending: Lessons from Oliver Sacks

February 19, 2015 by Greg

1026px-9.13.09OliverSacksByLuigiNoviOliver Sacks is dying. Today he published a brief and beautiful letter in the New York Times.

I pay a lot of attention to how leaders manage endings in the rhythms of organizational life. When endings are done poorly, failed projects linger on, necessary staff changes are delayed, and meetings crumble rather than complete. Done well, ending is a workplace practice in presence, in becoming available for whatever the next moment brings.

I am deeply touched by how Sacks is confronting his own imminent death. I hope I am so present when my time comes. In the meantime, I will practice the endings that allow me to live more fully and effectively. And I will draw inspiration from Oliver Sacks.

Be Real

“… but now I am face to face with dying. The cancer occupies a third of my liver, and though its advance may be slowed, this particular sort of cancer cannot be halted.”

Be Intentional

“I feel a sudden clear focus and perspective. There is no time for anything inessential.”

Be Grateful

“Above all, I have been a sentient being, a thinking animal, on this beautiful planet, and that in itself has been an enormous privilege and adventure.”

Greg Ranstrom is Founder and CEO of We, Inc.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: death and dying, leadership, Oliver Sacks

Leadership and Loss: Post-game Quotes from Pete Carroll

February 2, 2015 by Greg

Pete Carroll

How should leaders respond to losses?

Read these post-game quotes from Pete Carroll and get 7 tips for your own playbook.

 

Be Authentic

“Boy this is a hard thing to take…”

Describe What Happened

“Let me just tell you what happened…We sent in our personnel, they sent in goal line, it’s not the right matchup for us to run the football, so on second down we throw the ball really to kind of waste that play. If we score we do, if we don’t, then we’ll run it in on third and fourth down. Really, with no second thoughts or no hesitation in that at all…And unfortunately, the guy…jumps in front of the route and makes an incredible play that nobody would ever think he could do…”

Be Accountable

“There’s really nobody to blame but me, and I told them that clearly. And I don’t want them to think anything other than that. “

Praise Performance

“They busted their tails and did everything they needed to do to put us in position, and unfortunately it didn’t work out…”

Be Respectful

“I know you have a million questions about this, and I’ll answer them, it’s really ok, I understand why you’re asking, so I’ll try to answer them the best I can for you…”

Be Humble

“They made a better play than we did. That’s going to happen…Tom [Brady] did a great job to engineer the win. That’s it, they’re a great football team. They played like they were capable of playing.”

Be Real

(on disappointment in the fight and a player getting ejected from game at the end) “Yeah, that’s unfortunate. That’s a mess. Nobody needed to see that. That’s just emotions and stuff like that. It’s too bad that showed up.”

(Quotes source: http://blogs.seattletimes.com/seahawks/2015/02/01/post-game-quotes-from-seahawks-coach-pete-carroll/)

Greg Ranstrom is CEO of We, Inc.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: leadership, Pete Carroll, Seattle Seahawks

Mood, Emotion, Feeling and Workplace Culture

February 2, 2015 by Greg

 

Mona_Lisa,_by_Leonardo_da_Vinci (3) (440x224)Mood, Emotion, Feeling and Workplace Culture

How would you characterize the overall mood at your workplace?

This single question serves as a reliable proxy for the overall health or dysfunction in a company. We pay attention to multiple aspects of workplace culture for our clients, but if the answer to this mood question is generally neutral or positive, then we know the company is doing well, perhaps even thriving. If the answer is significantly negative or variable, then we know there is some unhealthy workplace stress and dysfunction.

Mood Matters. Mood is a reliable measure of organizational vitality, but mood is also a cause of organizational function or dysfunction. The overall mood of your workplace has a positive or negative impact on:

  • Perception: the degree to which the organization is aware of its current circumstances and future opportunities.
  • Decision making: the ability of the organization to choose wisely at every level from tactical to strategic.
  • Performance: the production of results through individual work and collaborative work.

Emotions cause motion.  The words “emotion” and “motivation” derive from the same root. Motivate means to stimulate action towards. Without emotion people cannot function, they cannot move. We are genetically wired to move toward or away from stimuli. The motion occurs before thought.

Away motion manifests in the fight, flee, freeze or appeasing behavior.

Toward motion manifests in compassion, creativity, and collaboration.

We close down or open up in a meeting not because we think we should, but because we experience what is happening as either a threat or an opportunity. The motion toward or away happens before thought.

How would you rate your personal mood right now? Take a look at the scale.  What’s your current mood state from -5 to +5?

-5     -4     -3     -2     -1     0     +1     +2     +3     +4     +5

Confirm the impact of your mood for yourself. If you scored from -1 to +3 then you are likely feeling productive and capable. A slightly more negative score of -2 may also be a productive state, especially for disciplined, individual work requiring a critical eye. You wouldn’t be reading this right now if your mood state is at +4 or +5 because you would be bouncing out of your seat. Think office flash mob or jumping for joy – super fun in the moment, very disruptive, and not sustainable beyond a few minutes.

Today’s workplace is also far more complex than the experiments done in the laboratory to produce scientific papers. However, we can make some general observations that are supported by our experience with our clients and also are supported by the growing body of scientific evidence.

  • A slightly positive mood over time is associated with better overall business results.
  • A slightly negative or neutral mood is most effective for certain types of work product: narrow focus, task-oriented.
  • A slightly positive mood is most effective for other types of work product: broader perspective, relational.
  • Some types of work are best served by positive – negative – positive arcs over the course of time: creative, learning, change.
  • High levels of negative mood state are not sustainable over long periods of time.
  • High levels of positive mood state are also not sustainable over long periods of time.
  • A slightly positive overall mood restores energy and vitality to individuals, teams, and organizations.

Consider an Olympic ski racer or any other high-performance sport in which the cameras are able to show the athletes’ faces and expressions. During the race itself the athlete is determined, committed, fierce, serious, focused, etc. You wouldn’t describe them in that moment as happy, light, or open. Their slightly negative, intensely focused mood is what is required to perform. This intensity of high-performance emotion is not sustainable over long periods of time. The athlete must recover from a different, more positive mood state.

I have worked with a producer at Pixar who describes the negative mood state that occurs in the middle of film projects that is not unlike the story arc of their great films. The creative process is often described in terms of this U-shape curve of positive – negative – positive mood.

Mood, emotion, and feeling are distinct. 

  • Emotions are biochemical responses in your body in reaction to stimuli. Emotions occur faster than your thoughts about the stimuli.
  • Moods are a common set of emotions over time.
  • Feelings are the language of emotion and mood. They are interpretations of stimuli and emotion.

If mood is compared to climate, then emotions are like the elements of the current weather, and feelings are akin to the weather report. Emotions and mood happen. Feelings interpret what is happening. (And, our interpretations can generate more emotion).

Workplaces can lack feeling but they cannot lack emotions. Some leaders are blind to the emotions that exist at all times. They don’t realize that emotions are rampant in every workplace and in every human. Other leaders recognize the emotion, but actively attempt to eliminate feelings from the workplace. They miss the connection between motivation and emotion. The power of language to tap emotional energy is lost on these leaders.

Mood is malleable. Twin studies show that genetics determine one third to one half of an individual’s default mood state, leaving the rest to be manipulated by external circumstances and individual actions. Studies also suggest circumstance has more than a 2x influence over mood compared to personal effort, but most of the recent press on mood focuses on how individuals can hack their mood – through wellness activities like getting more sleep, mindfulness practices, exercise, and nurturing relationships. These mood hacks work with the smallest fraction of what determines our mood. There is very little written about how to work with the other part of an individual’s mood that is malleable.

Your mood is contagious.  You probably don’t need to be convinced that your mood and emotions are contagious – you get it as a concept – in your head. It’s in our language: “She has an infectious smile” or “His enthusiasm is contagious.” But are you aware, day in and day out, how much your mood and emotions are impacting those around you?  Your mood infects your family, your friends, your colleagues, your community, even your social networks.

Facebook’s massive 2014 mood contagion study received a lot of press related to the questionable ethics of the study, but they did learn more about mood contagion. When Facebook filtered an account for positive posts from friends’ network, this led to increased positive posts from that account. And, a filter for negative posts from friends’ network led to increased negative posts. It’s really no surprise, we influence the people in our networks – our actions are contagious.

As a leader, your mood is really contagious. We all know the leader sets the tone for the company, but how important is a leader’s emotional expression? I have worked with organizations for almost 30 years now and I have experienced over and over again how influential the boss’s mood is on everybody else. Each company contains a unique set of contributing factors which generates the overall mood of the company. But the most significant single factor is the leader’s individual mood.

It’s not just about cake and balloons. People are as complex as you are. They each have a compelling life story. At every moment they are dealing with a suite of circumstance that might include happiness and comfort, sadness and uncertainty, and everything in-between. We are suspect of over-the-top mood interventions which are unsustainable, preference extroverts over introverts, and miss the nuance of generating productivity and health at work.

Capable leaders regulate mood for every situation. They regulate their own mood and they actively manage the mood of the workplace. The most capable leaders exhibit a mood state of equanimity in which they:

  • Hold a slightly positive overall disposition.
  • Synch with the various mood states of individuals and teams.
  • Pull people toward a mood state appropriate to the work at hand.

The leader’s mood becomes an anchor for the organization while allowing individuals to express a range of authentic feeling. According to a recent study, the number one unhappiness-provoking event in a typical day is spending time with one’s boss. Therefore, if you are in charge, and you provoke happiness in others, you generate a competitive advantage over the norm.

Mood contagion flows most often from the most powerful in each relationship. Even in the flattest of organizational structures, power matters. Power relationships might be defined by something other than the organizational chart, but power differentials exist in every relationship. Assess the social situations where you hold significant power and consider how your mood and actions might positively or negatively influence others.

Emotionally savvy people know that there is an art to mood management for oneself and others. The leaders we have worked with who are able to create a really healthy workplace vibe convey something akin to the Buddhist notion of equanimity, love, compassion and sympathetic joy. They are consistently unflappable and always authentic with their expression of emotion. Their mood is generally positive and also responsive to the people and the work at hand.

We believe all workplaces can thrive. Leaders have a lot to do with it. Leaders who manage their mood will infect those around them. The workplace will thrive and individuals will experience positive health, performance and relationships. If you don’t manage your own mood for selfish reasons, do it for your people, or for the performance goals. Your mood is powerful and contagious.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: emotion, feelings, leadership, mood, workplace culture

3 Swords for Leaders

September 23, 2014 by Greg

187px-TesshuLessons from the samurai, Tesshu, who was instrumental in the transition of feudal Japan to the modern era, are as applicable today as they were more than a century ago.

I interviewed Aikido master and executive coach, Chris Thorsen, recently. We discussed a leader’s responsibility to create a workplace culture in which employees thrive. Chris emphasized the leader’s responsibility for their own energy and attention in order to be prepared to build a vital company culture.

Chris works with leaders to develop practices which help them pay attention to what is required in the moment and act with integrity. Tesshu’s 3 swords distinguish three distinctive domains for a leader’s attention and action.

The Sword of Death (or discernment)

The sword of death is the sword of discernment. It splits this from that, one from another. It offers a path to perception, decision and certainty. A leader uses the sword of death to create boundaries and to bring focus, clarity and judgment.

The Sword of Life (or connection)

SeattleSkylineThe sword of life is the sword of connection. It cuts so sharply that it cleaves things together. It offers a path to empathy and compassion. It is deep listening, respect, and love. A leader uses the sword of life to create collaboration and community.

The Sword of No-Sword (or creativity)

The sword of no-sword is the sword of possibility and presence. It works with intuition and it generates spontaneous action. It synchs with the existing energy and requires zero control, only trust in not knowing. A leader uses the sword of no-sword to create a future that is distinct from the past.

Tesshu walked a path through his enemies without any attachment to the final outcome – he only carried a deep sense of integrity and purpose. He was instrumental in avoiding civil war without ever knowing how the future would unfold.

In what ways do you wield each of the three swords?

Most leaders I encounter understand the importance of the first two swords: discernment and connection. They may not have mastered either, and each takes on-going practice. Too often, they believe culture-building only belongs in the domain of the sword of life – connection, when in fact, culture-building requires attention in all three domains.

Rare leaders understand and practice the sword of no-sword – creativity, in which outcomes are released to the greater purpose of the organization. These leaders adapt and evolve quickly to ever-changing circumstances. They create companies they never could have imagined – widely more successful and different than any plan could have foretold.

Greg Ranstrom is founder and CEO of We, Inc. a firm dedicated to helping leaders build unique and vital company cultures. Gain access to our library for more of the interview with Chris Thorsen.

 

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: leader, leadership, workplace culture

Sensing Our Habits

September 16, 2014 by Greg

walkingMeditation (2)Sensing Our Habits

As we walk through our lives we don’t often think about every step we take; the feeling of the earth under our feet, the roll of our toes, the flex of our calf, the bend of our knee, the position of our hips and shoulders, or how we carry our head. We have evolved so that we can respond to opportunities and dangers without having to pay active attention to the mechanics and sensations of walking.

Over time, some people develop walking habits that cause them pain. For a lifetime they walk mindlessly in a way that may actually harm them. It is only through a careful examination of their habits and a deliberate practice to change their stride length, hip carriage or make other adjustments, that they are able to learn to walk with more ease and less pain.

Considering our walking habits can serve as a reminder that people are able to master a plenitude of habits that allow us to get by and even thrive in the world. It also serves as a reminder that we also sometimes develop habits that may be less useful or even counter-productive. The practice of sensing enables us to observe our habits and make conscious choices about them.

Imagine for a moment that someone surprises you from behind and places a firm hand on your shoulder. In an instant your body reacts to the trigger of surprise and touch. An emotion follows your response. It might be fear or excitement. Then, still in under a second, mental processes kick in to “make sense” of what is happening. You apply interpretations based upon your past experience. In the midst of these sensations, action or non-action results. You might flinch or scream, freeze or faint, turn or duck away, or take a deep breath in anticipation of a shoulder massage.

The practice of sensing allows people to examine the things they notice and their habitual responses to them. Sensing helps us to begin to recognize patterns of behavior, bodily sensations, feelings, and mental activity that are associated with different circumstances or trigger events. Perhaps you notice that a scowl from someone you perceive as an authority figure triggers physical and/or conversational cowering for you. It does not matter so much how the habit was developed however, the knowledge that scowls from certain people trigger a habitual response, that may not be productive, rational or serve you in the moment, is valuable information. By paying attention to our habits we open up possibilities for alternative and more powerful responses which serve us better than the old habitual responses. For example, once you identify your habitual response to scowling, you might intentionally choose to interact more often with a few people who are inclined to scowl so that you may develop the capacity to act and respond differently in similar situations.

We practice sensing by paying attention to something very specific for a period of time. The body scan, popularized by the Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction movement, is one such practice that has been proven to help many people adjust their habitual response to chronic pain, for example. The body scan, walking meditation or other physical sensing practices help to develop the quality of focus required to pay attention to other habits. One might, for example, have a habit of always discounting his/her competence in the face of challenges at work. The discounting may be silent and private or vocal and public. In either case, the habitual response to challenge might be undermining the person’s potential. Those who have learned how to sense their bodies, develop the capacity to sense when they are about to discount themselves, catch the behavior before it emerges, and choose, instead, to act in synch with how they really want to be and act in the world.

How we pay attention and how we sense matters. Find a habit to examine. Pay attention to its trigger, and to the physical, emotional, mental, and behavioral responses associated with that trigger. Practice noticing these habitual responses when they arise. Consider ways to shift those responses to be aligned with your highest self in those situations. Give it time, but stick with it. It takes constant practice to be able to walk through life as your best self.

Greg Ranstrom is CEO of We, inc.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: habits, leadership, presence, sensing, workplace culture

  • 1
  • 2
  • Next Page »

Teams & Workplace Culture

How companies thrive.

Our Blog

Recent Posts

  • Social Innovation: Theory U and Design Thinking
  • Hmmm… I wonder why Ford has a #metoo problem
  • Two Paths Toward Gender Equality and Diversity
  • Unconscious Bias – Why It Still Matters
  • 3 Keys to Business Success

Recent Blog Posts

  • Social Innovation: Theory U and Design Thinking
  • Hmmm… I wonder why Ford has a #metoo problem
  • Two Paths Toward Gender Equality and Diversity
  • Unconscious Bias – Why It Still Matters
  • 3 Keys to Business Success
MEMBER LOGIN

Check out the forthcoming book

Towards Integrity

FROM A CLIENT

"We finished the series nearly two months ago. The Culture in Action process provided us with concrete tools that have made our everyday workplace more transparent and collaborative. The experience also gave us shared skills and a common language to broach ideas, issues and concerns and, ultimately, has elevated how we at BBT Architects are communicating: with each other, within our teams, and with our clients." Renee Alexander

© 2019 greg ranstrom