WOW Word-Of-the-Week #483: Tribe
November 7, 2013 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on WOW Word-Of-the-Week #483: Tribe
Tribe – a group of people sharing an occupation, interest, or habit.
Do you feel a sense of identity and belonging at work? Do you feel valued by your managers or supervisors? Do you belong to any groups outside of work?
Before I left the country in September this article in the UT San Diego caught my attention. It was written by Allison Sampite-Montecalvo and titled,
WD-40 CHIEF PRAISES HIS STAFF ‘TRIBE’
CEO-president talks about creating a sense
of identity at annual economic conference
While speaking to business professionals and elected officials Friday during an economic summit in San Diego, WE-40 CEO and president Garry Ridge likened his employees to a tribe.
Ridge says, “A tribe makes more sense, based on psychologist Abraham Maslow’s theories on self-actualization and self-fulfillment. The first attribute of a tribe is creating a sense of identity and belonging, a place where most companies ‘miss the boat.’ People leave organizations because they feel they don’t belong.”
Also of significance is learning and teaching. “At WD-40 we love learning so much that we decided we’d take fear out of the organization by removing the word ‘failure,’ so we don’t make mistakes we have ‘learning moments,’” Ridge said.
On September 23rd, WD-40 celebrated its 60th birthday. Ridge says, “We don’t just sell oil in a can, but are in the memory-making business. Our vision is to create positive, lasting memories solving problems in homes and factories in the world. And we also strive to do the same for our employees. When we get up every morning and we put on the badge of leadership, we take responsibility for other people. Without our people, we’re nothing.”
This week’s focus is your tribe. Are you in a leadership position? Do you take responsibility for your people? Have you ever thought of your staff as a tribe? Do you feel your organization creates a sense of identity and belonging at work?
