It’s been bugging me lately, an annoying feeling that things are not quite right around Camberwell. We are cautiously optimistic about this year as the we begin to lift the business out of the hole that was late 2009/early 2010. The processes are working fairly well, the team seems to have regained their pre-drop optimism and spirit, and the opportunities are beginning to sprout all around us. However, something isn’t quite right.
Whenever this feeling comes over me, I always look to our Four Agreements. 99% of the time the problem lies in the fact that I/we have broke one of the Four Agreements. You see, our culture is guided by a social mission and some basic tenets of operation. We have the typical “best in class” aspirations in our plan; but it is how you represent these ideals that makes or breaks your success. Our representation is through the Four Agreements:
1. Don’t Assume
2. Don’t Take it Personally
3. Do your Best
4. Integrity of your Word
These Four Agreements were developed by a Harvard trained doctor (Don Miguel Ruiz) turned wellness teacher. It’s the kind of thing, on first blush, that makes you think “hippie-shit”. But, on closer examination, you see these agreements are at the heart of amazing client engagement and the delivery of wow! Think about it; the next time you find yourself in a conflict, performing poorly, or otherwise in the midst of problem – try testing the agreements. Which one(s) have you broken to get into this situation?
Back to my nagging feeling. Turns out I have been breaking the Integrity of my Word and Don’t Assume Agreements as of late, and no one has called me on it. Instead, the team have started copying my behaviour! Not good. I look closer and realise my breaking of these agreements is born out my frustration with recent client and partner actions. I have begun to speak with frustration about people I am trying to help–pretty stupid and solution blocking. I don’t hold any ill will, it just feels like a healthy rant. But, it’s not. It’s culture destroying and this is blocking me from delivery an awesome experience and leading a healthy company culture. Vince Lombardi (the great American football coach) said,
Teamwork, the love that one man has for another and that he respects the dignity of another…I am not speaking of detraction. You show me a man who belittles another and I will show you a man who is not a leader…Heart power is the strength of your company….[hate power is the weakness of the world].
From a hard as nails leader in sports to a Harvard trained physician turned wellness coach; there is something in the love the work, love the customer mantra.
So, having figured out how I got of course, it’s back to work on Monday with a renewed sense of purpose. Asking questions (not assuming) and removing that feeling that has been bugging me by getting back to the Four Agreements. Putting all my energy into positive change.
Related posts:
Yes, but if there is a purpose to a critical comment, even of the reasonably hard variety, then the comment should be made. To use your phrase Todd, there is a lot of ‘Hippy Shit’ in the ‘love the customer thing’; a kind of suspension of all critical faculties.
When the customer is also the partner (as they often are in an investment approach or in the case of a longer term development project) some robust and hard exchanges are to be expected. Situations and circumstances change, things can and do go wrong, sometimes because the customer is being unreasonable, is being a pain in tghe ass, is not keeping up their end of the relationship, or is just plain wrong. If that is the case then say so!
Here in Kathmandu I am sometimes driven crazy by a cultural trait among Nepali people; a tendency to agree with whatever anyone else says and to answer questions with what is thought to be the desired answer. I have wanted to hang myself sometimes but instead I have gone beyond my cultural induction training – which seemed to involve being told to accept statements that the sky was polka dot – and have had a gentle-ish rant or two myself with colleagues to wondrous effect.
Anyway that’s not what I sought out the blog space at Camberwell for,
This is:
I have become involved in a project involving one of the best natural leaders I have met – a Buddhist woman called Fulmaya Llama. She wants to build a 6,000 sq ft centre for the Womens Agricultural Cooperative that she is chair of about 2 hours East of Kathmandu. We have got to the stage of having an outline physical plan drawn up by an engineer, an estimate from a contsruction firm of about £100,000 (very rough, with kit and other stuff it will be nearer £150,000) and we will soon be starting in to the business case in detail.
I could so with some help please because although I can see how we can make this thing run in the long term from operating revenue streams – and including a sinking fund allowance – we will need to persuade some donors/agencies or philantropists to come up with the initial capital as grant finance. We therefore need an even more than usually wonderful business case. The people on this village do nopt have any disposable income to speak of.
The centre will house storage for fertiliser (can be bought really cheap when it is not needed and used later); a cybercafe with at least 6 skype based phones (many of the villagers have relatives working in the Gulf or in India); a hall for weddings and parties, meeting and training rooms, and of course it will be solar powered.. I want to support Fulmaya and the coop to produce the best possible marriage of simplicity and brilliance in a business case; We want images and photos, plans and projections and anything else that will make the idea cut it with whoever we go to.
So I will need some very honest feedback when I send early drafts and ideas to you and I will expect to be told when I am just ‘Plain wrong’….although then you might have to deal with Fulmaya! I could do also with some clever people to help with the project planning and the financial projections as well as the realism.
I think this sounds like a job for the Athos, Portos and Aramis of social enterprise: Todd, Dawn and Chris. Is there anyway we can explore this idea a bit more and then maybe you can see if it might fit in to Camberwells agenda somehow?
I thought too of contacting DTA and seeing if it might be something that could be twinned with a DTA member.
Whaddya think?
I am going back out to the village on Saturday and will have more anon. By the way this is nothing to do with VSO; it’s extra-curricular.
If I could figure out how to do it, I would put photos of Fulmaya and the village up here….
I think this is the first time I have blogged – ever. I hope it turns out to be useful.
Beir Bua.
d’Artagnan.
Hi Alan,
Please get in touch with me on the project in Nepal – eisrael at greenmicrofinance dot com. I am interested in wroking with you.
I lived in Nepal for 3 1/2 years.
Elizabeth Israel
Hi Elizabeth,
Great to hear from you. I have been here in Kathmandu for a year and live in the Kupondole area.
I have a mobile – 9803613112. It would be good to hear from you and to meet up. Today (Monday 21st Nov) I am heading to Nagarkot where four of us (all VSO volunteers ) will deliver the second of our leadership courses to senior staff from partner organisations – NGOs – across Nepal. The leadership offer is in fact a programme: It starts with a three and a half day residential course which includes preparation of an action plan around a leadershsip challenge in the participating organisation, ongoing support over a three month period and a cincluding three residential course. This weeks is the first course for a second participating group. I am interetsed in talking about this course with you too.
I will swap emails with you and hope we can meet up soon after my return to Kathmandu on Friday next.
Alan
Hi Alan, I am pleased you connected. What is your email address? I am really looking forward to speking with you. Friday works. Are you on SKYPE?
I lived in Kathmand for 6 months with my family (4 children) and Palpa Tansen for 3 years.
Elizabeth Israel
President / CEO
GreenMicrofinance
P. +1-610-616-3918
C. +1-610-906-5765
Skype: gmfelizabeth
eisrael@greenmicrofinance.com
http://www.greenmicrofinance.com
Todd, GreenMicrofinance is a social enterprise formed in 2002. I can relate fully to your comments regarding business development, presentation, and the Four Agreements. Keep going.
Elizabeth
Elizabeth Israel´s last blog ..Haiti Long-Term Reconstruction