As leaders and managers we are required to create an
environment that engages those who work with us, but what does that look like?
Our environment says a lot about who we are and if our
environment does not engage us as managers and leaders what chance does it have
of engaging others’? Our teams, our followers, watch our every move and will
notice when we are not engaged so, at the very least, our environment should
engage us fully.
My intention in this article is simply to raise your
awareness and if you choose to take action, then that is an added bonus.
The environment we live in is often overlooked and taken for
granted and yet it has a significant impact on us and how we are.
I have decided to take a slightly broader look at
environment in the hope that it will encourage you to look at your own and
identify what works, what doesn’t and, what you can to get the results you
want, which will hopefully create one which engages your team.
What makes up your
environment?
The obvious things to think about and where most people
start, is the physical ‘stuff’, your desk, your office, your car etc. However,
your environment goes beyond this. All of the following are elements for you to
consider:
·
Relationships
·
Network
·
You – physically, emotionally and mentally
Your environment is a reflection of who you are and
therefore anything and everything in your environment has an impact on you.
So, if you are not getting the results that you want one
approach is to look at your environment and figure out what isn’t working, what
does not fit with your aspirations. Anything that is draining your energy or
having you ‘power through’ things to get things done is not having you operate
at your most effective. Put another way; things, people, places and ideas all
have an energy that impacts on you.
Things – what
physical things are having a negative impact. This may simply be the way your
desk is organised, your filing system (both physically and on your computer),
the way you have your computer set up or other technology and how you are using
your time.
People – What
relationships are working and which are not? What can you do to improve these?
Are you utilising your network effectively to get the results you want? Do you
need to develop your network further? Who is supporting you? Who is not
supporting you, or draining you? You may need to let these people go.
Places – This can
be where your office space is located, where you work, where you live, where
you spend your free time. Which energise you? Which drain you? Which ones help
you be you? What can you change? What can you adapt?
Ideas – This area
is about you. What’s going on in your head? Are you limiting yourself? What
assumptions are you making about you and others? Are these helpful? What
internal dialogue do you need to change to be more positive? What music do you
listen to? What TV programmes do you watch? What do you eat?
Most people I know look externally when in fact by looking
internally you can have a bigger impact. I know one person who conducted a
review and discovered that changing the music they were listening to on the way
to wprk significantly changed their mood when at work!!
What are you tolerating? What is draining your energy? Start
with one thing – it may mean creating a new habit and it may impact on other
areas. Wherever you choose to start, be committed and if you can’t be, maybe
you need to start somewhere else – the place that’s stopping you from taking
action. Don’t’ worry if the action is imperfect. Any action is better than no
action at all!
"Out with everything
you don't need - the junk, clutter, hang-ups and hurts - and in with the fresh,
fantastic, unencumbered life you've always wanted."
Oprah
