Hi FLOCKERS.
From Dan Sodergren.
As you may or may not know – last year I invested in Your FLOCK – an HR tech start up that pivoted into the remote teams space during covid.
But I don’t just work at FLOCK. I work with a few more companies that share my values and need my skill set.
I work for:
The Landing – a tech and innovation hub for Media City.
I do a few bits of media work as myself Dan Sodergren talking about the #futureofwork and technology.
And I used to run a marketing training company (Great Marketing Works) before the pandemic.
Each of these businesses may take a slightly different skill set. But each of these companies is linked by my values.
They do not all have the same BRAND values. As they are different companies. BUT my values aligning with their s is a key reason I work with them and for them.
As I try to stay true to…
My VALUES.
My values may have changed a bit over Covid. I don’t know about yours. As I took the time during lock down to do a lot of personal work. A lot of reflecting. And thinking about the future. We learnt a lot about ourselves at FLOCK too.
But the values for most of the companies I worked for stayed the same. Not all of them. We did some amazing work at The Landing to change the values of the organisation. So we can #BuildBackBetter.
Perhaps you are the same with your own business or your employer. But whether during covid your company culture stayed or changed. HOW you work or whether you worked at all changed.
We all had to remote work. Many of us had to work from home. But did this really change our CORE VALUES?
Why do I blog about this?
As I am a person who is passion it is to create change. And I know that the language WE use to help people through such times of change can play a key part.
In not just helping people feel the benefit of what WE do. But to open them up to the moment of change itself. Especiallyif this is done online. Without you there to support them.
And it IS that we have recognised at FLOCK. That we need to change HOW we explain what we do.
Not change our values but how we show why FLOCK is so useful for teams – especially if they are new to remote working. And not becuase working from home changes your VALUES.
People have a problem with the word: VALUES.
You see the first part of Your FLOCK is a survey. This survey helps the individual user bring to the surface their core “things”.
I say things…. As right now we use the word core “VALUES”.
The problem we are finding with this is that VALUES – is a very emotive word.
Values means….
the principles that help you to decide what is right and wrong, and how to act in various situations.
Or
the beliefs people have, especially about what is right and wrong and what is most important in life, that control their behaviour:
Which is not the same as VALUE. Which means…
the importance or worth of something for someone:
or
But you cannot say Your VALUE Survey. Because the survey gives you your three core things.
What about STRENGTHS?
I have always loved the word “strength” ever since reading.
Which talks about playing to your strengths. It is one of my biggest personal development drivers. To concentrate on what I am great at rather than trying to be good at everything.
This might not be the right way to live. But it something I choose. To concentrate on my strengths.
I know my strenghs are not alwayss around using the right words for things – so we asked people on Twitter and Linkedin to choose between the word value and strength.
So you can see the reasults were kinda close. More so for Twitter than for Linkedin but…
For the our defination here STRENGTH means.
the ability to do things that need a lot of physical or mental effort:
or
a good characteristic:
So, strengths makes sense. Maybe with the first definition for us at FLOCK rather than the second. As the survey shows more than one thing. More than one good characteristic.
But again, people we have spoken to, worry that saying “strengths” in key areas implies a weakness in other areas.
Which it “kinda” does – as you cannot be high scoring in all 9 characteristics – that’s just not how life works.
The 9 things being detailed on this blog here at FLOCK
https://yourflock.co.uk/the-nine-flock-company-culture-dimensions/
Whilst the key idea of FLOCK being to use this company culture mapping tool to be able to show remote managers what kind of support each team member might need.
Not to rank their abilities. But to create a company culture map.
But as you can see on Twitter the vote was pretty close once again.
So…
COULD THE RIGHT WORD BE “MOTIVATIONS”?
In the FLOCK product we talk about drivers and motivations so perhaps this is the word we are looking for.
The 1st FLOCK survey in 36 questions and in under 5 minutes highlights your key 3 motivators.
enthusiasm for doing something:
AND
willingness to do something, or something that causes such willingness:
And so, this ties nicely into work. It might not be a value, therefore. Or a strength but your motivational driver.
We still do not know what word to use…
But what we do know at Your FLOCK is that one of our key company culture features is being CUSTOMER FOCUSED.
Especially me. Here’s my FLOCK PROFILE to prove it…
So, I would love your thoughts on which word we use. As your opinon is more important than mine. And for you to vote on it too. So I have created a one click linkedin post.
