How we act, how we react and the paths we follow are our own choice!

It has been said that we think with our heads but act with our hearts.  Our spirit controls our conduct, shapes our attitudes and provides the basis for how we perceive our world.  And our spirit is directed by core values.  It is not a question of whether or not we have core values.  We do!  We need to ask; "What are those core values and are we aware of how they impact us?" 

Organizations have a spirit as well. The spirit, and prevailing attitude, of the organization is reflected in its corporate culture.  While referred to as corporate culture, this driving force exists in groups and teams of all sizes.  Although they may not be openly expressed, core values are still in play.  Even cliques have core values.  If you doubt that, simply observe what happens to a member who fails to follow "the rules."

The culture of a team can be a positive force toward cooperation and success or contribute to conflict and hopelessness. Here’s the good news. We can determine what that culture will be and we can change it if we choose.  The best way to establish a positive culture is by establishing, articulating and reinforcing a positive set of shared core values.

When properly established, the shared values of the team become an integral part of each individual's personal values.  The leadership of an organization must take the time to discuss and determine what core values should be reflected in the organization’s culture. These values will focus on areas such as quality, ethics and character. It is important to describe the way employees should interact with each other and with customers.

The core values should be put in writing. Do not take the easy way out by picking a single general statement that, in its generality, fails to offer any real meaning. Keep the list fairly short, and each value simply stated. The core values need to be easy to remember. The list of core values should be distributed and discussed with every employee and all managers. This list should be brought out regularly at team meetings as a reminder of the organization’s highest aspirations.

As leaders, management should lead by example. The core values should be brought up and used as the basis for making decisions and resolving conflict. Leaders should discuss and communicate how their decisions and actions reflect, or fail to reflect, the core values. Core values should be the basis of discussion when addressing desired changes in behavior. 

Core values can be emphasized through reward systems. Managers and employees can be evaluated and rewarded according to the degree to which their actions and behavior reflect the organization’s core values. I am particularly fond of programs that provide a mechanism for employees to recommend peers and managers for awards based on actions that exemplify the company’s core values. Frequent team meetings where awards are presented for demonstration of core values are particularly effective for reinforcing a positive culture.

Every culture has its own expectations for behavior. Those who wish to be a part of that culture behave accordingly. The most successful teams are those that first focus on “the heart of the matter.”

What could be better than having a positive impact on others. When I impact you in a positive way, not only does it lift you up, but it makes me feel good as well. Even more amazing is the indication that people observing acts that create positive impact have a similar release of serotonin and subsequent lift in spirits.

Positive impact is great at an individual level.  As a part of the culture of an organization, it becomes a driving force for success.  Organizations that have a positive impact on their customers and clients build long standing partnerships and awesome reputations.  The whole reason for concern with the quality of products and services is concern for the resulting impact.

When the pursuit of positive impact becomes a driving force within the organizational culture, we create, what I call, a Positive Impact Organization.  In a Positive Impact Organization, members at all levels recognize the value of positive impact.  There is a shared understanding that the source of impact is not limited to products and services, but is deeply rooted in the nature of our interactions -the way we treat those we serve.

In a Positive Impact Organization there is a shared understanding that every individual's personal performance and interaction skill is affected by the impact others have on them.  In the interest of mutual success, employers want to create a positive impact on employees and employees on employers. All members of the team or organization want to have a positive impact on each other. This desire to create a positive impact then spreads beyond the walls of the workplace to the community and others who may be interested in what we have to offer.

It is important to note that positive impact is not some level of excellence to be achieved.  Rather, it is an ongoing process that seeks innovations and methods which may enhance the nature of the impact we have on others.  In a Positive Impact Organization, everyone is on the journey - engaged in the pursuit of a more enhancing experience for all involved.

Now that is a trip worth taking.

How many are the faces of diversity?

We have heard so much about this term, diversity.  In our society, our schools, our government and our workplace diversity is becoming an increasingly important area of study and concern.  Diversity training is mandatory in many sectors and the call for greater understanding seems to have reached nearly every business and organization.  For some the message has even grown stale.  "Do I have to attend another lecture on diversity?"

What comes to mind when you hear the word diversity?  Like many of the "buzzwords" we hear today it tends to be used in a very broad sense while meaning different things to different people.  For many, this term relates to issues of equal opportunity and laws protecting certain classes from unfair discrimination. Some people tend to focus on discrimination regarding race, or religion.  Others consider issues surrounding age or gender.  In my experience, there are additional protected classes commonly considered including ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability, national origin, political affiliation and veteran status.

But the diversity training of today goes beyond the legal prohibition of discrimination for protected classes and digs deeper, unearthing the concept of tolerance.  Teaching tolerance is more progressive in that it goes beyond prohibitions of discrimination where the law can be applied.  Tolerance is more of a social and personal concern where the concept involves each individual's acceptance of someone who is different.

Of course, teaching tolerance is not limited to schools, consultants or trainers.  Each and every one of us can be a part of the program.  We can share the importance of acceptance with others and, most important, we can lead by example.  We can also remember that tolerance is not limited to the ten common stereotypes I acknowledged above.  To make a significant social impact the understanding of diversity must go farther.

The only thing we all have in common is that we are different.  We come in different sizes and shapes.  We come with different backgrounds, abilities and limitations.  We have different levels of education and different types of experience.  Any one of these differences offers an opportunity for judgment and intolerance.  Each identification of a difference also offers an opportunity for acceptance and inclusion.

When it comes to building successful teams, businesses and organizations, tolerance is not enough.  Great leaders have diversity awareness; they recognize that there is strength in diversity and actually seek it.  These leaders search for diversity, identify the potential value of the differences and capitalize on them.  They build teams with members that are not like each other and different from the leader. 

One key difference is particularly important to success yet rarely sought - a different point of view.  The best decisions and initiatives emerge where different perspectives converge.  It is sometimes difficult to accept disagreement and even harder to admit being wrong.  With diversity awareness, people can accept and respect different points of view, evaluate the strength of each, and emerge with improved clarity and understanding. 

Life is for learning and you have nothing to learn from those who agree with you.