🐘 Elephants, Emojis, and Empathy
Crafting culture through questions that matter
What would your colleagues or team say if you asked them to “name one elephant, dead fish, and vomit around here?
This might sound like an odd question, but it's one that could be asked at Airbnb. In her Harvard Business Review article "Build a Corporate Culture that Works," Erin Meyer describes how Airbnb leaders are expected to "transparently address the things everyone is aware of but no one dares mention, the unpleasant events that are starting to stink, and the frustrating feelings people need to get out of their system." This approach invariably shapes a culture of transparency and candor, not to mention creativity.
I've been thinking a lot about how the questions we ask - or don't ask - impact the information we collect and thus shape the culture we want to create, both at home and at work. Every evening, each member of our family shares one “rose”, “bud”, and “thorn” of our day at the dinner table. Lately, I've been considering how we can revise these questions to help shape our family values.
This quest for better questions is also a great way to use AI. Here's a prompt you could try:
"I want to build a culture of [TRAITS] in my [CONTEXT: team/family/organization]. Generate 5 diverse, open-ended questions to ask regularly that will foster this culture. For each question, provide a unique symbol or emoji that represents its essence. Briefly explain how each question and symbol contribute to the desired culture.
Format example: (🌹) "What was the best part of your day?" - Encourages positivity and gratitude. (🐘) "What's a big topic you're hesitant to bring up?" - Promotes transparency. Please follow this format for your responses."
I used this prompt to focus on building a culture of kindness, generosity, and leadership in my family. Here are my favorite questions generated by Claude, an AI assistant:
(❤️) What was the kindest thing someone did for you today?
(🍀) What's one thing that made you feel lucky today?
(💡) What's a problem you noticed today that you'd like to solve?
These questions, and their associated one word or symbols, serve as gentle reminders of the values we're trying to cultivate.
Make it stand out
Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
The beauty of this approach isn't just in the questions themselves. It's in the process of thinking deeply about the culture you want to create, whether in your home or your workplace. It's about being intentional with your conversations and understanding that every interaction is an opportunity to reinforce your values.
As leaders and humans trying to make a positive impact, we have the power to shape our environments through the questions we ask. Here are a few to ponder:
What culture do you want to build?
What questions could you ask to nurture that culture?
And how might you use tools like AI to help you in this process?
Culture is shaped through consistent, intentional actions and conversations. The key is to start small, be consistent, and not be afraid to adjust your approach as you learn what resonates with your team, organization or family.
