Thursday, December 19, 2019

Culture Shifting

If you want to shift your culture, then every interaction can make a difference

By Jon Heinen, CLAC Representative

I was grabbing lunch at a local Quiznos recently, and the place was pretty quiet with just the early-twenties guy behind the glass, ready to make my sub. I was feeling good, so I started chatting with him and asking him questions: “How’s your day?” “How long have you worked here?” etc. It turns out his parents owned the place and he was feeling stressed and not in a great mood. He bantered easily enough and by the time we got to the payment, he looked up and said, “Man, you really turned my day around!”

I was a bit shocked, as I didn’t realize I had actually done anything, but he continued. “I was having a rough morning and you just came in and talked to me and now I feel way better. Thank you!”

This is an example of culture shifting. I regularly teach adults as CLAC’s prairies education coordinator, and at one of my workshops recently, we got into a discussion about whether or not you can change the culture in your workplace. It might seem obvious, but to those who work in a culture dominated by their employer, or with challenging working conditions, this might seem less apparent.

In the workshop, everyone was excellent at describing their culture, but I challenged them to think about how they could influence or shift the culture. There were quite a few despairing faces at the concept.

My interaction with the Quiznos employee reflects how often an intention or attitude can shift a culture. We refer to our regular interactions with people as touchpoints, in which we are always experiencing simple moments with each other that we probably don’t even recognize—we say hi, we smile, we brush past each other, we say excuse me, etc. What we don’t know is when a simple touchpoint becomes a critical interaction and what seems simple becomes incredibly persuasive or influential.

At CLAC, we work with principles established in our messaging that focus on work being a positive, fulfilling, and rewarding experience for all. Within that message are other key phrases like “positive work-life,” “everyday greatness,” and “champions of you.” In particular, I like the notion of a positive intention, or mentality toward work and each other. Simply doing what it takes to be positive can turn regular touchpoints into the potential for critical incidents. The thing is, you will never know when it happens (unless they tell you, like the Quiznos employee).

I challenge the adults I teach—who are mostly CLAC stewards—to become leaders in their workplaces. I believe that if we take it upon ourselves to do what is necessary to shift our culture, then every interaction we have makes a difference to what we experience each day.

How do you respond to someone’s frustration? Do you make yourself available for questions, or do you keep to yourself? Are you friendly? While these seem like innocent questions, they fundamentally impact the culture of your workplace.

I challenge you to consider what your intention will be today. You never know when it will shift someone’s day for the better.

Culture Shifting

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