What We're Reading Now
House Rules
31 August 2014
Rachel visited Sydney, and between the koalas and the beach and the iconic opera house, she saw something that gives new meaning to "house rules."
Tags: culture, leadership, rachel read, teams
There are a lot of terrific (if sometimes tiring) things about business travel. Among the best is an opportunity to see things I might not otherwise get to see and learn interesting things from faraway places.
Take the Sydney Opera House. There are a few things you might not know, like that its architect, Jorn Utzon, had no idea how to build the structure that he designed until after they began construction. Or that the arcs of its sweeping roofs are not sheets of white, as they appear, but rather are paved with small tiles in 17 different shades of ivory and gray. Or that the two buildings of the opera house actually stand above four undersea levels of staging area, and there's a massive construction project underway to build new access roads underwater without disrupting the existing structures.
As with all construction, there are many work crews and a variety of construction walls to walk around when going from here to there. A sign posted on one of them caught my eye.
My photography skills leave something to be desired, but the sign reads:
Our house rules. I will:
- Do everything I can to go home safe
- Never forget rule #1
- Respect my workmates
- Communicate positively with those around me
- Challenge my mates to do the right thing
- Present fit for duty and ready to do my best
- Never take short cuts at the expense of safety
- Lead by example and be proud of my work
- Speak up if I see something not quite right
- Step up and help my workmates if I see they need help
Although this construction team gets to enjoy the pun of having "house rules," you might have a similar list of statements for your team. Whether you call them "norms" or "ground rules" or "ways of working," these are the words that set the stage (more puns!) for a team where everyone knows what is expected and how they've agreed to work together.
One thing I particularly appreciate about this list (in addition to the fact that it's posted in public for every passerby to see) is its clarity. Take rule #9… in many of our organizations, we might be tempted to say simply, "Speak up." But that begs the questions, "When? What if it isn't a big deal? What do you want me to speak up about?" The list also makes it clear what matters most; if you have any questions, return to rule #1 and begin again.
When I got back to the office on Wednesday, I found myself paying special attention to our own words (that) matter at Allison Partners. I'm proud of our words and of the images and stories that they evoke for our team and I was reminded that there are all different ways to convey culture within a team. Whether they're painted on a wall or on a piece of paper on the refrigerator door, whether on a worksite or in a classroom or near a break area, it sure helps to have some words written down.
And maybe, like those folks in Sydney, you'll post them for all to see. (Or at least you could share them with us. We'd love to know what you choose.)
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