Do you know you can’t hum and hold your nose?

Who now wants to try it? Who is currently trying to hum while holding your nose whilst looking around you to see if anyone is secretly filming you?

Who can think of nothing else other than humming and holding your nose?

Which brings me neatly (and maybe somewhat tenuously) onto the subject of being distracted as a leader in business.

As a leader in business there are so many things that can distract you, that can make you appear distracted. And the impact of that distraction has far reaching effects on your people, your service, your approach, your approachability.

How we lead ourselves is the cornerstone of success and it is that that will cascade through the culture of a business. You may nail some values in reception as part of mission, vision and values statement but it is the demonstrated behaviours that causes the true ripples. Behaviour is contagious.

Culture cascades from a leadership team and is enabled by the people in the business.  One of my favourite (and simplest) leadership impact models looks at how thoughts and feelings translate into behaviours which then create the impact strategy that people respond to. How often do you check in with the demonstrated behaviours in business – how do they mirror the values?

When I'm working with businesses whether looking at talent development and leadership programmes or workplace culture strategies I often start with a behaviours, beliefs and ripples workshop with the leadership team. Because then we can truly look at the behaviours we want to demonstrate in business and the impact strategy we want to create and everything cascades from there.

How we manage distraction is key to how we enable and promote a culture.

Actions cause reactions, cause ripples; ripples that can become your culture. Have you considered the reactions your actions creating – positively and potentially the negative shadows of those reactions?

I once had a boss that we knew how he was going to be that day by the way he walked into the office - it is that implicit.

In 2023, let's look at behaviours and the ripples they create not just the words we craft on a values statement.

If you'd like some help on your workplace culture strategy and behaviours, you know where I am ; )

Now, who’s still thinking if they can hum and hold their nose?