In a comment he left for me at MWAC today [for an article called, Is Pono where Integrity goes?] Dean Boyer wrote, "I love the visual of the cut glass! This is often an accurate picture of the role of the teacher!"
Well, the beginning of this story is that I had a hard time finding the picture Dean was referring to. Turns out I really liked the photo I eventually found as well, but that one short search gave me some food for thought.
I started on the Flickr search page for Attribution Licensed photos, [a new habit via these tips from Skellie] typed in the obvious as my search word – integrity – and a measly 52 pictures came up, a low number if you’ve ever searched Flickr, and most not very interesting at all.
It’s something we all aspire to, and something we all want a reputation for… Why aren’t there more pictures of integrity?
Admittedly, integrity is probably a toughie (and I could have been more creative with my search words), but here’s the food for thought:
What if, for your next staff meeting, you asked everyone to come with just one picture, one that was their visual interpretation of ______________.
Fill in the blank with the value you want to keep front and center for the next month or so. For my company it would be Pono, for yours it might be hospitality (Ho’okipa), learning (‘Ike loa), compassion (Mālama) or a theme like greatness, joining Phil.
Then, do a simple show and tell. Get everyone to share with everyone else why they came up with that particular image.
What you are likely to end up with is some pretty enlightening stuff on how your staff interprets certain values in comparison to how you do.
Photo by aussiegall
This is my image for the day in thinking about why I love the contentment of Pono: I saw this at Skellie’s just this morning, and to me it evokes a lightness, calm, and stress free feeling – just what I want from the weekend to come! Enjoy yours,
~ Rosa
- If I have you thinking more about which value to choose, visit Managing with Aloha Coaching, and read Say No to Resolutions: Choose your Values instead. There is more about Pono there too.
- If you are in the mood for more reading this weekend, remember that you can now find a one-stop link-fest of finds and writing at Ho‘ohana Aloha, my new Tumblelog.
- There is a lot of conversation happening at Joyful Jubilant Learning lately too: Some inspired folks there, and I’m sure they’d love to hear from you!
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
I think this offers a great suggestion for work teams. I’m going to try this at our first team meeting this year. I’ll let you know how it works out.
Our theme this year, and every year, is “Taking Client Service to the Next Level.” We have a picture of someone walking up a flight of stairs, and a teamwork pyramid, but maybe folks can use Flickr to find something not so clip-art like.
Thanks Rosa! I’m off to find my picture that defines taking client service to the next level!
Yes Phil, please do let all of us know what happens!
Since “Taking Client Service to the Next Level” is an annual effort for you, I would suggest you focus it with your team a bit more; perhaps the picture you ask them for could be a visual on what that “next level” looks like in the mind of the 2008 customer. You could end up with a very rich hit list of things that could then be quarterly or monthly targets.