Good Morning Friends! Here are my 5 Things to Consider this week!
Culture – Culture is language. Do you ever wonder why we use the words “Piesans” or “Shot callers” instead of employees or bartenders? Or why we say “development” as opposed to “Training?”. These are examples of intentional languages choices we’ve adopted to support and define our culture. We decided that we’re not going to be like other companies, so we shouldn’t have the same language as other companies. By adopting our own language, we define ourselves even further as a tribe. To understand our culture, you have to understand our language. Our culture provided the environment in which these terms were developed, we just need to pick them out. Among other things, our culture is made up of all the small conversations we have on a daily basis. The difficult part here is remembering to use these terms and not the traditional ones. Everyone in our tribe must ADHERE TO, ENCOURAGE and ENFORCE the use of our cultural terms. This is the only way it becomes routine. When you hear someone say, “Employee”, it’s up to you to correct them. We don’t have employees, we have Piesans. What are some of your favorite terms we’ve adopted that you think define our culture? Let’s get a master list going!
Leadership – If it’s not a “Fuck Yeah!,” it’s a “No.” This term has become near-and-dear to my heart over the last couple years. It basically says, that if you’re not so inspired with a decision as to say, FUCK YEAH!, then you should probably be saying NO to it. I’ve tried to apply this way of thinking to my everyday life. From selecting a movie on Netflix to major purchasing decisions, like buying a car. You should be excited about the decisions you make. What about hiring a new Piesan? How do you think our shops would benefit if every new hire was a complete FUCK YEAH!?
History – Classy AF. Dylan and I were on the phone a couple years back discussing the idea of Oddfellows and we we’re stuck on something. We knew we weren’t a traditional dive bar, but we weren’t exactly a 5 Star, ritzy establishment either. Somehow we were straddling the lines of classy and rough-around-the-edges but we couldn’t quite figure out the words to describe what we were feeling. All of the sudden, like a lightning bolt to the head (read: a fit of frustration), he blurted out, “We’re not a dive bar! We’re classy as fuck!” and in that moment, one of the defining terms of what Oddfellows was all about was born. Nailed it! Classy AF I feel has gone on to embody everything we do. I’ve always felt our best chance at success is walking the line between polished and unpolished. Somewhere in the middle lies the magic of authenticity which people crave. It’s all about the details though. The difference between “Classy” and “Trashy” is a thin line and we stay on the side of “Classy” by remembering that everything we do is DETAILS! Our interiors, our customer service approach, our social media, our recipes, everything. When we forget to tend to the details, things slip into the realm of trashy. After that, the only place left is “who gives a fuck”. Not the place we ever want to be. The second part of this is knowing when one thing is outshining another. I feel it’s time we say goodbye to Pay Eat Leave as one of our defining values because Classy AF defines us more as who we are TODAY. I want to thank everyone for their input on this topic. I’ll have a rough draft of the new CLASSY AF value at our next manager meeting.
Motivation – Picture your best Piesan. I used to exercise with my wife, Rachael back in the day when she would come home and complain about her co-workers. The exercise goes like this, picture the best Piesan or co-worker you have. Think about all the ways they’re amazing. Think about how much easier a shift is with them than without them. Now think of those 5 or 6 attributes that make them so valuable. WRITE THESE TRAITS DOWN. Now, think about if you had and entire tribe with the same attributes as that person. Whoa, right?! Having an entire tribe that resembles your best tribe member is not only a real and tangible possibility, it should be your GOAL! Now I’m certainly not advocating you start firing everyone that lacks these traits, but take your list and think about how you can start developing your tribes so everyone can begin to contribute like your shining star.
What I’m Reading or Watching – Awe-inspiring moments. As I’m typing this, I’m on a flight back from Western Canada where I just spend a couple days. Vancouver and Whistler to be exact. The best part of the trip for me was being AWE’D by the breathtaking landscapes. I think an amazing thing happens when you’re truly humbled by nature. I was reminded so many times over the last couple days about how amazing the world is and how lucky we are to be here on it. It’s good for the soul to be reminded that whatever your personal world looks like or how stressful you think it might be, there a whole other beautiful world out there just waiting to be seen. Waiting to remind you that there’s something bigger and grander out there and you’re nothing but a little blip. A tiny observer that just happened to be lucky enough to be born in this amazing little sliver of time. There’s calm there.
Thanks for reading! Like or hate any part of this? Let me know! I really value your feedback.
Have a great week!
5 Things to Consider Archive 