No One Fights Alone

“No One Fights Alone” are the words on an unmistakably orange rubber bracelet I have been wearing for the last two months.  A co-worker’s dad is going through a health crisis and I am wearing the family-designed bracelet as a sign of support and to keep him and his family in the forefront of my mind throughout the day.

It’s been amazing how many people have asked me about the bracelet and this gentleman’s condition. For all of us who know him, there is solidarity, of sorts, around this bracelet and what and who it represents.  We are all fighting for him and we all want him to know that he is not fighting alone.  By wearing these bracelets, we are reminding ourselves and each other that this is important!

This solidarity experience has made me think about our work, my co-workers and our environment.

• What are the common points we gather around?
• What are the non-negotiables we have agreed upon?
• How are we daily reminding ourselves and each other of what we are committed to?
• What is the “one thing” we are fighting for?

These questions speak to the very core of every organization: its culture.  Culture is not just one component of an organization—in my opinion, culture is everything to an organization.  At The Flippen Group, we use and teach two methods to help keep culture intact, relevant and a top priority:

Social Contract

A Social Contract is a mutually agreed upon set of behaviors.  This one-page commitment is then signed by everyone on the team and/or organization.  This is the foundation and framework for the organization’s culture.  The Social Contract is posted so that it’s in front of everyone daily.  I pass a framed copy of our Social Contract multiple times a day on my way to and from the coffee maker! (no decaf today!)

Feedback

Flip Flippen says, “Feedback is the breakfast of champions,” and I agree.  For those willing to receive and give feedback to each other, there is no better picture of solidarity in the fight for personal growth and organizational culture.  Recently, two co-workers that I trust and respect gave me feedback from a conference call.  Neither had an issue with what I said but rather the tone I used when saying it.  I completely agreed and will be more aware of my tone thanks to their commitment to give me feedback.

While we may not wear bracelets around the office, we all work in solidarity, understanding that we need to fight daily for our culture.  We are in this together and we know in order to succeed, no one fights alone!  Have you defined your culture?  Do you have a mutually agreed upon set of behaviors?  How is your team living out solidarity?  Are people freely giving and receiving feedback?

Think about what’s at stake.  Everything!  You can’t afford not to have a healthy, vibrant, purposeful culture with people who, in solidarity, say “No One Fights Alone!”