Course 1, Discussion 5: 7 Cups Culture
Hello Leadership Crew!
I hope you have been benefitting from this course. This is the last discussion of our course 1.
We take culture seriously on 7 Cups because it is the heart of how we operate. A wise person once said: You teach what you know, but you reproduce who you are. We can have all of the best training content we want, but if our culture is not strong, then we will not be successful in growing a thriving, compassionate, community that will make a global impact.
Every organization has a culture whether by design or by default. When culture (including values and mission are not called out or made explicit, the organization defaults to an implicit or unstated culture. The unnamed culture is not always great for the end users or the community. An example of a common and implicit cultural rule or norm is that the person that makes the most money or the organization is the most important. People that work in this organization then, naturally, because it is the culture, start organizing themselves around ways to make more and more money. The ones at the top of the hierarchy are the ones that make the most money. 7 Cups cares less about money and more about compassion. We call out compassion and celebrate compassionate people because that is central to the work we do.
Please read our guide here to deeply understand our culture. We have made it explicit because we believe it is important to help us all be accountable to what we stand for and believe in. As leaders on 7 Cups, you will be models that emulate our culture and values.
✒️To help make it more real, in this post, please highlight the 3 most important things you learned from our guide and why they are important to you.
✒️ Please reply to at least 1 of your peers in this thread with encouraging or supportive words!
❗❗After posting, please...
1. Take the course exam here to complete course 1.
2. Take the leadership oath here.
3. Fill out the End of Trial form to complete your 2-week trial (Please check your email for End of Trial date.)
4. Proceed to Course 2!
🔉This post is brought to you by the Leadership Development Program, find information on it here tinyurl.com/AcademyLDP
@Hope
Trust
Vulnerability
Cooperation
@Hope
Trust
Vulnerability
Cooperation
They are important to me because every work is about the community. The flower can not flourish iin a bad soil.
@Hope
To help make it more real, in this post, please highlight the 3 most important things you learned from our guide and why they are important to you.
The first important thing I learned from the guide is that our work here matters. I think this is super important because sometimes we get discouraged and our brains delude us into thinking that the work we do here doesn't really mean anything. In truth, it does! The work that we do here on 7Cups is lifesaving sometimes! And even just a little difference we make in one person's life still makes a difference within the world.
The second thing I learned from this guide is taking care of ourselves. This is super important because how can we help others if we are falling apart ourselves? Eating well, sleeping well, and reaching out for support when we need it is crucial in us maintaining our ability to function as a listener or leader on 7Cups as well as function in our day to day lives. Without self care, we would end up burnt out, and falling to pieces personally. Which would take a lot of time to put ourselves back together (speaking from personal past experience here on 7Cups).
The third thing I learned from the guide is that failing is okay. From failure we learn new ways to do things. It's a chance to learn and improve ourselves. It doesn't mean we suck or are horrible. And it's okay to fail! And I love that 7Cups recognizes that. Sometimes life is trial and error. During those times, we learn what works, what doesn't work, and what we can do better next time. It's a chance to grow.
I will reply to one of my peers after posting this discussion.
@Hope
✒️To help make it more real, in this post, please highlight the 3 most important things you learned from our guide and why they are important to you.
The 3 most important things I have learned from the guide are:
1. Expect Failure, Failure is nothing to be scared of and it is nothing to worry about as long as you are focused and trying. We don't like failure, we feel that we haven't accomplished the task at hand and we may give up, but failure means that we did something we haven't learned yet and to try again and keep trying till you get it. Learn from the shortcomings and where the help is needed- navigate yourself to self help and improve.
2. Self Care- We at 7cups can get very motivated in helping and being a part of the community, I find that self care is really important for any person engaged in a role or activity. Sleep good, exercise, eat well, stay hydrated, surround yourself with loving people, take breaks, ask for help and face your personal problem- is key!!!
3. Collaborate, "we require a diverse set of ideas from everyone to effectively tackle complex problems" collaboration with other team members, mentors, admin, can help you as a person flourish. Collaborating along side others get the job done better and more efficient without putting too much stress on yourself, and as a community, collaboration is so important. There is no I in Team. Working together and using everyones strengths can boost morale and towards a common goal.
@WishUponAStar968
Hey, nice to meet you! I like you taking collaboration as one of your values because teamwork is important to our lives as well! Best of luck with your upcoming courses!
@HopeWhat I Learned
Honestly, this guide to values and culture did not surprise me much, which is actually kind of nice. It means that I am aware of the culture 7 cups tries to foster and am in line with these general principles. There are a few things that I learned, specifically, though. One is that the team (I presume this means the admin team?) not only self-evaluates quite regularly (awesome!), but does so with OKRs - something that is not clear on the front end of the site. I love better understanding of how things work - I'm just like that. :) But I also recognize that evaluating in this manner is something that can make the difference between simply trying to go in a general direction (no matter how well-intended) and making more well-informed and effective decisions. That is something I respect a great deal. The other thing I learned was that those at higher levels are open to, and encourage, feedback and ideas from anyone. I guess I don't often get that sense in an organization, and that is a very welcoming policy.
@JustSophia Relatable
Whoops - forgot to include my shout-out to all of my fellow LDP-ers. I didn't want to single anyone out this time but instead wanted to offer a hearty congrats and "woo-hoo!" to all for their earnest efforts and commitment to getting this far. :)
@Hope
Your summary picture said it all. Compassion, empathy, and learning.
1. I learned we have a good culture (in my opinion).
2. I learned we believe in progress (meaning that we dont bully someone for failing or anything in that kind)
3. That we like equality
@Hope
The three most important things I learned from the guide:
1. Compassion
2. Empathy
3. Learning
@4Jasmine
These points were important to me because without compassion and empathy, it's not possible to have an open heart to listen and hear another's shared concerns and feelings.
Learning is a life long journey that requires inquisitiveness and an open mind.
