Creating a Culture Where Everyone Contributes

Everyone Contributes: The Foundation

Everyone Contributes. No two people are precisely the same. You and I look different, come from different backgrounds, have unique experiences, but we both contribute. In fact, Everyone Contributes. It’s one of “The 8.” The 8 are what we believe all people need – at work, at home and everywhere in between. Every solution, every service, every relationship humanworks8 has begins with this understanding. It’s foundational to our work.

What does “Everyone Contributes” mean?

Simply put, Everyone Contributes is the belief that human beings should question together and communicate clearly.

Good questions mean a great conversation is right around the corner. A good question reminds us every person has a voice and a valuable point of view. Business leaders, are you ready and positioned to honor and listen to your unique thinkers? Do you have a communication framework that inspires your team to speak up so they can fuel your business with fresh ideas?

A robust communication framework for your business must consider the messages, channels and practices of leader-direct report, peer-to-peer, department-wide, project-based and all-company communications. But this communication framework is built upon each employee’s contributions – it starts with individual communication.

Every One Contributes: Individual Communication Practices

Consider the people with whom you communicate on a regular basis – those who report to you, those with whom you collaborate, peers on your leadership team. Do they know the best times and ways to reach you? Do they know whether you naturally excel at brainstorming or consider yourself an overnight processer? Do they know what gives you confidence or what slows you down? Do you? Have you ever considered those questions for yourself, reflecting on what conditions are needed for you to contribute your best. It’s time to revisit your individual contribution energy.

The Communication Guide: Enabling an Environment Where Everyone Contributes

The Communication Guide is a humanworks8 tool that inspires communication confidence, resets expectations and fuels team effectiveness through self-reflection and team discussion. The Communication Guide helps you identify:

• Your communication basics
• Criteria needed to make your greatest contributions
• The drive behind your contributions
• Support needed

Complete the tool for yourself, then share with your team and others across the organization. Take advantage of the natural strengths of your employees, eliminate ineffective meetings or approaches to problem-solving and get the right individuals in the right discussions. You’ll understand why a group of overnight processers doesn’t excel in live group brainstorms or why an individual who’s energized by hustle and bustle in the office seems disengaged alone in their cube.

Reference The Communication Guide when:

• Your team meets, perhaps quarterly during your strategic planning meetings
• A regular practice such as brainstorming, 8 AM stand-ups or problem-solving via e-mail isn’t working for your team
• An employee isn’t performing to your expectations
• Your team experiences a change such as a new team member, exiting team member, leadership change, shift in responsibilities or team transition

To be most effective, re-visit The Communication Guide for yourself at least annually. If you update it, share it out and discuss why. Make it part of performance and You Matter Here conversations. Save The Communication Guide for each team member in a place anyone on your team can access.   

Download The Communication Guide

Download The Communication Guide from humanworks8.