In this episode of the Smooth Operators Podcast (The SOP), Jordan jumps on the mic to share an idea from a brilliant book by Daniel Coyle called The Culture Code. It's all about building a high-purpose environment where your team is inspired by the work they do because they never forget the purpose/vision/mission. After introducing the idea, Jordan talks about how to implement these ideas in a digital environment.
Jordan's notes from the high-purpose environment chapter in The Culture Code:
- Build a high-purpose environment. Send clear beacons of purpose everywhere.
- ~Link what your people are doing with what it means
- ~Show people they have a role and future with this team.
- ~Set up organizational heuristics: a simple set of rules that drive complex behaviors. Decision-making heuristics. Rules of thumb. Used by ants, bees, and slime molds. They operate through simple if this, then that frameworks.
- Building purpose - action items:
- ~Name and rank your priorities. 5 or less.
- ~Be 10x as clear about your priorities as you think you should be.
- ~Figure out where your group aims for proficiency (doing a task the same way every time) and where it aims for creativity.
- ~Embrace catchphrases. Keep them simple, action-oriented, and forthright.
- ~Measure what really matters.
- ~Focus on bar-setting behaviors. Translate abstract ideas like values, mission, etc into concrete terms. Spotlight a single task, use it to define your identity, and allow it to set expectations.
- ~Transmit, amplify, and celebrate the purpose of the whole group.