Page 97 - Make Work Great

Beginning Your Crystal

Notice that this doesn’t necessarily imply that you’re friends on a per-
sonal level. You may or may not spend time together outside of work,
share the same social values or family situations, or agree on issues such
as politics or religion. Indeed, you may never have even broached some
of those topics. What’s pertinent is that the two of you are overt with
each other about what you need to do and seek clarity about appropri-
ate topics and goals whenever you communicate. This leads to mutual
respect and trust. Your relationship helps both of you get your work
done, and it might even make the work a little more fun.
If you don’t have such a relationship, don’t despair. Your fi rst task
in building the culture around you is to fi nd one. That’s all, just one.
Remember, culture change is all about using your choice about what

patterns you will demonstrate as a force to influence and inspire change.
You start demonstrating here and now on a limited and manageable
basis by role-modeling new patterns to one person, someone who you
would like to be the fi rst to attach to your new cultural crystal.

Why not start with more than one? Why not two, five, or nine?
After all, you’re already demonstrating to everyone all the time any-
way. Why not target a whole group of people for your fi rst addi-
tions? The problem is that when you begin to multiply fi ve people
by six types of overtness and three types of clarity, your project can
quickly become overwhelming, and you may give up or make major
mistakes. Your nascent patterns of behavior are new and fragile at
this point; treat your new crystal with care. You can certainly talk
about this book and the ideas it contains with whomever you like,
and other people may certainly observe your demonstrations; but for
the moment, limit your fi rst crystal addition to one person.
Who should you choose? You can pick anyone with whom you
work on a regular basis: coworker, manager, employee, or customer.
This is not the time to choose the most troublesome person in your

work life! Aim at the easiest target first. Choose someone you really
like, someone with whom you already have some trust and a positive
history and are most likely to have success. Write the person’s name
in your notebook—in ink!

85