So here we are: this special time of the year that calls for sea, sun, sand and the joy of knowing that the crucial decision of my day will be whether to go for a lemon-basil or tiramisu ice-cream. Yes, the holidays are here and I have swapped my iPhone for some sunscreen and business reports for magazines.
For a while now, I have taken a guilty pleasure in these magazines, particularly the infamous summer quiz that is supposed to help readers reflect on their relationships. I'm sure you'd recognise the cheeky titles that usually go like this: "Is he that into you?" and "Have you lost the passion in your relationship?".
This got me thinking - why do we quiz and analyse the passion in our personal relationships, and not look at our relationship with work?
If I trust Cosmopolitan (and Saint-Exupery), relationships have a future if partners look towards the same direction, have a common dream and challenge each other to make it happen. Maybe it's time to use the same analogy for our corporate lives.
If we aim at achieving the same mission, with common values and trust, it can be a win-win. Better businesses thanks to people, more fulfilled people thanks to businesses.
I have started to explore the idea of a passion/purpose check-up for the working part of our lives. Here is my starter for ten: no triangles, squares and stars to count, or points, just three questions and a magic conclusion. The goal is to sense check your purpose, motivations and drivers, and then compare these with your employer's. As with relationships, if you have common passions it forms a foundation for you to build a future together.
My new style of summer quiz would include questions like:
1.Do your company's mission and values still resonate with you?
NB: if you don't know what I am talking about, you may want to explore the job market...
2.Are your company's mission and values truly embodied within the organisation?
NB: HR isn't watching - just be honest...
3.Do you believe that you have the power to drive change and be a key contributor to make the company a better organisation that achieves its mission with greater impact?
NB: this is the decisive question - think twice, no "Maybe"
The last question is truly about what you want to bring to the table. How much you accept to be a key part of the equation, to take action, to influence your environment in order to make it fit for purpose - your company's purpose and your own.
If you answered yes, then it makes the full equation a positive one. You are owning and representing a little piece of our company's mission and values. It's your role to nurture it. You have the power to speak up and drive change. More than ever, companies need our voices to co-define what success looks like and work with others to make it happen.
Bottom line: I am coming back in September. You?