A long time ago I photocopied an article called “Lessons from the Sandbox.” They’re part of a Robert Fulgram article, I think. I have them on my wall at work, and these ground rules sum up everything we need to know to get along with people. He says:
Business principles don’t have to be complicated. Remember the rules in kindergarten:
- share your toys
- Play fair
- don’t hit people
- put things where you found them
- clean up your own mess
- Say you’re sorry when you hurt someone
- do not tell lies
- live a balanced life
- Learn something and think something and draw every afternoon.
- When you go out into the world, watch out for traffic, hold hands and stick together.
These sum up for me how I tried to be as a manager. Think about this. For me, these became:
Do I share my toys? In the workplace, it’s all about sharing your resources: time, knowledge, skill, and understanding.
Play fair – Be honest with those around you. Say no if you can’t do something. Say yes if you really can. And then do it. Whatever you do, keep your word.
don’t hit people – certainly not physically, but not emotionally either. Support yourself and your people, don’t be part of an ambush.
put things back – Make sure you put your things where they belong. Follow procedures and be respectful of the needs of others so you can find things where they are expected. This is especially important since people can share desktops or share desktops.
clean up your own mess – if you make a mistake, say so. If it goes wrong, say so. Then do what you can to make amends, quickly.
Say you’re sorry when you hurt someone – We may be good at apologizing to our customers, but are you good enough to apologize to your colleagues? We are humans; we have bad days Acknowledge, explain, and then make amends. Quickly.
do not tell lies – this for me is not only the obvious lies, but also do not be devious. Sometimes this caused me problems as I would be honest about my needs in the budget, only to have it cut because I was supposed to have lied! It is also about not hiding what is coming: therefore, here we are dealing with lies of omission and commission.
live a balanced life – be a complete person We all know that there is more to life than work; cultivate your “home” life and bring those skills and passion to your work. Encourage your staff by finding out what they do in their down time and asking them about it. You never know: the next creative impulse could come from this!
Learn something and think something and draw every afternoon. – We all need a time out. Daydreaming is good for us! It is where creativity comes from and how we regenerate ourselves.
And finally, when you go out into the world, watch out for traffic, hold hands, and stick together. The team that sticks together and protects each member is the one that performs. As a manager, I saw that it was my responsibility to take care of my team, and I know that they took care of me.
So, stick to the rules in the litter box, and you’ll find yourself part of a warm, high-performing team.