Welcome to Episode 348 of What’s Your “And”? This is John Garrett, and thought I’d kick your week off with a little bit of Monday Musings. I’ll be coming in on Mondays when we don’t have the Follow-Up Fridays, to just start your week off right with a little bit of What’s Your “And”? messaging, a little bit of the research that I’ve come across and some of my thoughts.

I thought I’d share with you a poem that I came across, by Margaret Wheatley, and the name of the poem is Turning to One Another. The reason why I’m sharing this with you is because I think the words in here are really great and really dovetail nicely with the What’s Your “And”? message of just not being afraid to take the initiative, that’s one of the chapters in my book, and just talking about how, no matter where you are in an organization, even if you’re in charge of a small team, or you’re a manager in charge of a couple of teams, that you don’t have to be at the very top to set the tone of what your team does and how it operates.

You can make an impact on your culture and get people talking about their “ands” and those outside-of-work hobbies and passions and interests, no matter what level you’re at. It just takes someone taking the initiative, showing a genuine interest in the people around them, and definitely the top-down approach makes it easier. If the tone at the very top is that way, and encouraging people to have a life, outside of work, and not only have that, but share it and shine a light on it; that definitely makes it easier.

Even if you’re in charge of a small group, you can still set that tone with that small group. In the end, it also takes people jumping in and trusting that and being involved and wanting to share as well. That’s a really important thing, but it takes someone taking that initiative. That’s why one of the chapters of the book is Don’t Be Afraid to Take the Initiative. I just hope that this week, you can take that initiative to share your “and” with some people you work with, whether they’re co workers or clients or customers, and then encourage others to also share theirs. Just ask them, what is it that lights you up? What do you love to do outside of work?

So, this poem by Margaret Wheatley, titled, Turning to One Another.

There is no power greater than a community discovering what it cares about.
Ask “What’s possible?” not “What’s wrong?” and then keep asking.
Notice what you care about.
Assume that many others share your dreams.
Be brave enough to start a conversation that matters.
Talk to people you know.
Talk to people you don’t know.
Talk to people you never talk to.
Be intrigued by the differences you hear.
Expect to be surprised.
Treasure curiosity more than certainty.
Invite everybody who cares to work on what’s possible.
Acknowledge that everyone is an expert about something.
Know that creative solutions come from new connections.
Remember, you don’t fear people whose story you know.
Real listening always brings people closer together.
Trust that meaningful conversations can change your world.
Rely on human goodness. Stay together.

Again, that’s Margaret Wheatley’s Turning to One Another. I just love so many parts of this, but just how you don’t fear people whose story you know. When you have those connections with coworkers and clients, but especially coworkers, you don’t fear them. The negative feedback isn’t so negative. The connections that you have with those people are so much stronger and richer because you know what lights them up, outside of work, what they’re “and” is. It just brings people closer together, and expect to be surprised. You’re going to be surprised. There are so many cool people around us if you just take a moment to ask, and the work will get done. The work will get done. Just take time to have a genuine interest in the people around you and just turn to one another, especially in this time of working remotely and what have you.

So, I just want to encourage you to don’t be afraid to take the initiative this week. Hope you have a great week. Wednesday, we’ll have another great interview coming up, and look forward to hearing from everyone. If you would like to be a guest or know someone who should be a guest on What’s Your “And”? because they have a hobby or passion outside of work, please don’t hesitate to reach out, whatsyourand.com All the links are there. The book link is there as well. Have a great week.

Thank you so much for sharing the podcasts with your coworkers and your friends and for subscribing on iTunes or whatever app you use and for sharing this message that we’re all trying to spread which is who you are is so much more than what you do.