GarthBox

It’s funny when people ask me about company culture.

I often respond, “you’re looking at it.”

It’s easy to forget that people make up the company culture. That it’s more than just words on a wall or in a handbook.

It’s more than design and parties and pets being welcomed on the premises.

It’s more than bonuses, BBQs and being one another’s bartender.

Culture is merely the outcome of practicing what you preach.

When you are all of a similar mind, when you share the same world views, when you all set the bar to the same level and proceed to surpass it, to act on it – that’s culture.

Honesty, integrity, passion, and curiosity isn’t a culture.

The people who put those items into action is the culture.

Next time you’re wondering about the culture of an organization. Talk to a few people. Spend some time with them. That’s all it takes to know what they’re culture is and if you’ll make it stronger.

 

Stay Positive & Culture Works When You Do

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Some people, when they read a book from Seth Godin, feel inadequate. They feel like they’re not doing enough. They feel lazy.

Might this be the case for you without Godin?

Do you find yourself talking to a friend, hearing all that they’re up to and then feeling guilty about spending your weekend watching Netflix and not chasing your dreams?

If so. Watch Bob Newhart and listen closely.

Inadequacy is most felt when you compare two things that ought not be compared.

Here’s the behind-the-scenes fact of those you’re feeling lazy compared to: they sacrifice a lot.

They sacrifice a lot to do what they’re doing.

They may be killing it at work, but they don’t have as much family time as you.

They may be off traveling the world, but they’re making acquaintances, not life long friends that will stand next to you at the altar.

It’s not fair to you or the person you’re comparing yourself to when you feel not good enough or lackadaisical. They may be looking at you, thinking about how you’ve got something great in your life that they’re missing out on.

Comparing yourself to others isn’t worth the ego boost when they’re doing less than you and it’s not worth feeling inadequate when they’re doing more than you. You’re not the same. It’s not apples to apples.

Better to compare where you are at now to where you want to be later, not where others are or will be.

 

Stay Positive & “Stop It!”

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Interestingly what people pay you for is often wildly different from why they pay you for it.

Many businesses still believe the what matters.

They take out ads featuring shots of the what in use. They talk about the functions and features. They share every detail about the product so you’re completely informed (and hopefully persuaded to pay them for it).

Little of it resonates unless a consumer is in need of one particular screw for her DIY bench.

Yet, even then, is it a screw she wants or the relief in knowing she’s almost finished?

When in doubt, confirm that the why trumps the what.

Talk less about the richness of your custard and more about the deserved feeling of treating oneself.

Take out fewer ads that showcase the design of a hammer and creatively show how a father feels when his kid wants to give it a swing or his wife appreciates his handyman-ness.

It’s becoming ever more rare to get paid for the what. Why wait around until it’s extinct?

 

Stay Positive & The Why Is The Only Reason The What Matters (HT to Dave)

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There is a handful of reasons why we shouldn’t learn something new, try something different, and master tasks we never thought of mastering before.

At the forefront of all those reasons is that we fear The Suck. Those 15 minutes of being really really bad at whatever we’re trying for the first time. That suck can produce emotions like frustration, stress, and embarrassment regardless if anyone else is around.

Thing is, to process copious amounts of information, to be a maven, to be able to at least do it all (no one said you have to be incredible at it) you have to be open to The Suck.

I’ve learned that when you acknowledge The Suck and call it out and work through it, there’s no end to your ability to process all you need to be good at something you’ve never been good at.

It doesn’t take much. Just a little resilience and attitude to deal with The Suck because you care enough about your abilities once you’re past it.

 

Stay Positive & Give Yourself Permission To Suck

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Without a doubt those who fail learn more and become smarter, more caring, more connective people than those who avoid circumstances where failure hangs out.

Succumbing yourself to risk is as easy as avoiding it. Here are some ideas that will help you fail better, fail more often, and in turn become a better person because of it

Take fewer shortcuts.

Raise your hand first.

Accept more responsibility (even if you have to give it to yourself).

Be detailed about what success by your hands will look like.

Get others involved in your pursuits. A team trumps a single player every day.

Focus on what you can influence and empower and bring your best self to. The external doesn’t matter if you can’t influence it. Note it, sure, then get back to the real work.

Last but not least, call yourself out when you fail. Own the failure. Not only learn from it, but share the lessons with others. You’ve failed so others don’t have to fail in the same way. They’ll look up to you for this. Not down.

 

Stay Positive & Go Fail A Bit

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It doesn’t take many words to invoke emotion.

“I love you.”

“You’re right.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Screw you.”

“Shhh”

If you find yourself using a lot of words for the details on your packaging, your “about” page or your FB statuses and responses, then it’s likely you’re working to reason with the target.

Perhaps, like many, you believe if she could just see the facts, that the fine points would be enough to convince her to buy your product.

Sadly, while that’s the case for a few in this world, it’s not the case for all of your target, especially as you continue to develop a better product and build a tribe.

Using the right words, words that resonate, not just persuade (and with that, using fewer words) begins by answering a couple of questions:

1) How does she feel before she uses your product or service?

2) How does she want to feel after using it?

In other words, why is she considering you in the first place? The answer to this is not the solution you offer. The answer to this is the emotional shift she is willing to pay money to make. What is that emotional shift from and to?

When we understand our targets ambition and predilection, then we can begin to use language that evokes the desired emotion.

Then we can finally quit rambling, using thesaurus for more descriptive and detailed words, and trying to persuade with paragraphs when all it takes is a few right words.

 

Stay Positive & Words Matter, Fewer Words Matter Most

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