Posted on May 24th, 2010
Recently I took a short road trip out of the city to my home town to visit my parents. The day was incredible with lots of sunshine after a soaking rain. The landscape was lush and I found myself taking in the beauty of the earth. Gratitude filled my heart and my mind and left me with a feeling of great contentment.
At one point during my drive I came across a group of Boy Scouts who were walking the ditches and picking up trash that had been thrown out of cars. I felt a great deal of pride in those boys and respect for what they were doing. Having been a leader in our local Scouts organization when my boys were younger, I know that this activity was a demonstration of a core value in the scouting organization – good citizenship.
Our organizational development work at Madd-Steiny helps companies find ways to bring their core values to life in their work cultures. And, I think that just about every organization we have met has respect listed as one of their core values.
The value of respect, demonstrated, goes beyond an individual’s behavior during interpersonal interactions. It also extends into caring for the work environment. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard about conflict in work groups due to food left in the refrigerator, or dishes left in the sink or a mess left in the conference room after a meeting.
Establishing norms or expectations for behavior in your organization is one powerful way to bring your values to life and nurture a respectful work culture.
Here are a few behavioral expectations that we have seen practiced in organizations that demonstrate a respect for the work environment.
1. Always leave your meeting space looking better than you found it.
2. When you see litter in and/or around the building pick it up.
3. Keep your workspace organized and free from clutter.
4. Be accountable to pick up after yourself in shared space.
With Respect,
Georgine
