Showing posts with label community. Show all posts
Showing posts with label community. Show all posts
Thursday, July 12, 2012
5 Lessons About Teams from the Movie Avatar
I have now seen the movie Avatar several times, and each time I learn something new, and gain a new perspective. This time when I watched it I found myself thinking about the parallels between the story line, and business. In the movie Avatar, there were examples of the following, which I believe are essential for organizational success:
Relationships
Teams and communities can endure and move through a great deal of change, crisis and adversity when the relationships are strong. Relationships can be restored with work, and when both parties are willing to understand, build the relationship, forgive, and move forward. Trust can be broken as quickly as it is formed so ongoing attention to nurturing trust and relationships is essential.
Values
Trust, honesty, honour, family and respect for the land and its creatures was critical, just like in organizations, these are often the key organizational foundations. When deeply rooted values are compromised, or challenged, it can create conflict and division in the community, in the team.
Importance of rituals and legacy
In the movie Avatar, legacy, tradition and rituals were the backbone of the people. Decisions were made based on history and rituals that keep the community strong. In workplaces there is often a culture, and when the team connects with tradition and rituals, there is a sense of synergy that forms.
Community
When there is a goal and a purpose, communities (and in the case of Avatar... Tribes) come together to support the mission. Community is not just people living or working in a certain geographic area. Community involves relationships. In Avatar, when the safety of the community was threatened, other communities came to lend support. We have seen this in our own community natural disasters such as forest fires, floods, etc. Other communities reach out to lend support, resources, and assistance. Social responsibility and respect for the land is a hot issue in many workplaces and organizations, as it was in the movie Avatar.
Leadership
Every community, tribe, workplace and team needs a leader. Leaders are the vision keepers, uphold the goals and mission, even when the going gets tough, and create cohesion in a time of crisis. As David Irvine (author and speaker on leadership and trust) says, leadership is a decision, not a position.
Next time you watch Avatar, watch for the parallels you see between the movie and the team or organization in which you work. Look forward to hearing your perspectives.
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Mixing Business With Pleasure
Many business owners start their own business because what they do is their life calling, their passion. This was certainly true for me, even though since starting our business 15 years ago, my purpose is different than when we started the company. I have found in my travels as a speaker, author and consultant that many business owners and leaders are also passionate about giving back. It is in fact a big part of our business model as well. A couple of months ago I blogged about a great article that Brett Wilson (Dragon’s Den TV show) did in Venture Magazine about philanthropy in business, I really enjoyed his perspective.
A few weeks ago, I was thrilled to be able to interview with CEO of eWomenNetwork, an international business organization, Sandra Yancey. We talked about the importance of philanthropy in business.
Sandra talked about the eWomenNetwork Foundation, her company’s philanthropic foundation that supports emerging leaders, and a number of charitable organizations around North America. Every single eWomenNetwork business mixer and networking meeting has a philanthropic component, this was what drew me to become a member a number of years ago. eWomenNetwork’s motto is “Give first share always.”
Something that Sandra said really stood out for me – “Time promotes your exposes you.” Wow, what an interesting perspective. In my presentations, I often talk about making your moments matter, and deciding in advance how you want to show up in the world. Sandra’s comment is an important reminder to carefully choose how you show up and how you make your moments matter.
Here are some of the great ways my corporate clients are giving back and playing full on in community service and philanthropy:
- Monthly change for change initiatives (staff put their lose change in the “change for change” jar and every month at staff meeting they choose a different community organization to donate to. Another client does something similar and they also make a team field trip to the organization (what a great way to give and build relationships).
- United Way fundraisers
- Cause of Choice- company chooses one organization they support throughout the year
- Day of Helping- the team chooses an organization that needs help (e.g. with painting, spring cleaning, an event, etc) and volunteers
- Toner recycling drives- some companies save their toners and donate to a place like http://www.cartridgefundraising.com/
- Sobeys (and other similar businesses) gift card purchases where a portion goes to a local sport team, or community organization
- Pop bottle drives and the money goes to charity
- Volunteer to make meals at the local soup kitchen
What are the ways you give back? I would love to be able to feature your company in a future blog.
To listen to the interview with Sandra Yancey, please visit this link (and feel free to share with others). It is full of incredible tips on philanthropy in business and success!
Listen to the other radio show interviews where I have interviewed guests on the topic of leadership, marketing, trust building in teams, communication, and more:
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