“Come gather ‘round people, wherever you roam
And admit that the waters around you have grown…
Don’t criticise what you can’t understand
Your old road is rapidly ageing
Please get out of the new one if you can’t lend a hand
For the times, they are a-changin’
Bob Dylan wrote these lyrics in 1964 and claimed the song was written with a purpose in mind during and reflecting on one of the biggest civil rights movements and cultural change in recent history.
“I’m starting with the man in the mirror
I’m asking him to change his ways
And no message could’ve been any clearer
If they wanna make the world a better place
Take a look at yourself and then make a change”
Michael Jackson asks listeners to change their negative ways by first examining themselves for flaws, which he metaphorically describes as looking “in the mirror.” The overall theme of the song is that changes in the world are necessary, but this starts on an internal level with each human being.
Why am I quoting song lyrics in a people and performance blog?
Well – these lyrics portray the current world we live in and some of the current cultural challenges workplaces are experiencing.
Fast forward to today and I think Bob’s lyrics are as relevant and important in 2022 – we have experienced one of the fastest changes in history. The impact on the talent supply chain and how we work has been challenged and we as employers and employees are still figuring it out.
Generally, we have a divide between the ‘work in the office’ argument and the ‘we can work from anywhere’ argument.
So how can we move through this? Here are four tips to manage this scenario:
- Outputs – focus on clear outputs and deliverables – wherever you are this must be a business non-negotiable
- Accountability – we all need to take on more accountability – the world is short staffed!
- Influencing – this is one of my biggest arguments for heading back to an office. Influencing, whether it be internal to try and move that project along or external, face – to face meetings are simply more effective to influence.
- Learning – looking at engagement data over the last few years Learning and Development has been in the top three of wants from employees. Fact is that the majority of our learning is acquired on the job or ad-hoc – we pick up new things and tips by listening to team members, not in a formal learning environment – will this impact development and succession planning? I think it is inevitable.
Michael Jacksons lyrics also links to a classic leadership trait that of Self-Reflection and Emotional Intelligence that impact a workplace culture.
We as individuals are very easy to put blame on others in times of uncertainty and stress.
In fact, we are actually wired this way – this is linked to our Amygdala – the basics of our fight or flight instinct. So, we are hard-wired to blame others rather than accepting you could be part of the problem – we deflect blame, and this is sure to impact culture.
In team dynamics look at it this way:
You have some long-term team members who know their job inside out, are high performers. You as a people manager introduce a new team member who may be new to the trade or not as experienced as we have to in a 4% unemployment rate scenario. Now, hopefully this should be an environment where learning is accelerated, delegation and communication come into play and the team dynamics are harmonious.
But – if communication lines break down, if instead, delegation fails you then there is a dangerous situation of
“I can’t trust that new team member to do the job, they let me down,” ….
” I’ll do it myself, it’s easier…”
This can destroy culture and produce negative behaviours.
So, let us take a lesson from Bob:
Get out of your old road / habits – the old way of doing things. We as people managers and leaders need to coach, mentor, and develop those around us, they may be a different generation so seek to understand rather than criticize what you can’t understand.
And from Michael:
As things change around you, you too must change if you want to make the team a better place – take a look at yourself and your mindset.
Just like the boyfriend jeans, the retro runners…what once was old is new again, we just have to adapt to avoid any cultural hiccups.
STEPHEN CUSHION
General Manager – Consulting
Check out more blogs about this topic – Cultural Awareness & Emotional Intelligence and 3 Key Talent Strategies To Review In An Ever-Changing World.