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
✒️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.
@radiantUnicorn3506
I'm starting to notice a trend here! I sincerely relate to your first lesson. I know everybody struggles with failure at some point, but as the oldest sibling and now a parent, I think I grew up expecting to be perfect for those who depend on me.
@radiantUnicorn3506 I can totally relate to your post. The full tank is essential for anyone especially in a helping role, unfortunately I sometimes don't realize my tank might be close to being empty until I notice I am becoming tired, frustrated, and overwhelmed.
@radiantUnicorn3506 I really relate to your post, especially the part about accepting failures. It’s often been quite hard for me to come to terms with how failures are normal and everyone goes through them. It’s true how the guide allowed us all to see that failures are not to be ashamed of, but they are opportunities for us to improve.
@radiantUnicorn3506 I can relate to you!
@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.
- Failure is expected. - This is something I have always struggled with. I grew up being the best at most things, and as I got older I gave myself unrealistic/impossible expectations. Unfortunately, I have lived in what I like to call "a perpetual state of existential crisis". Seriously, it's bad.
- Caring for People with Fewer Financial Resources - This is important to me because I am usually in this category. It is refreshing to see a company not care about profits first. Honestly, it's hard to believe an organization like that exists. I am choosing to believe 7cups is being truthful about this.
- We Invest in You - I have worked in a couple of different fields and honestly, I feel like this is hardly the case. You're usually just a spot that needs to be filled, which can be replaced if needed. I guess that's true in almost everything, but I think there's value in investing in your current employees/volunteers.
@LovelyKittyCat
I totally get where you’re coming from for the failure is expectations part. It’s tough when you’re used to being the best and then suddenly find yourself grappling with expectations that feel like they’re from another galaxy. It’s like trying to hit a bullseye while blindfolded! But even if the path is bumpy, you’re not alone in this. It’s okay to stumble and even fall a few times—those moments don’t define you, but they do shape you. :)
@kabir22 awh thank you
@LovelyKittyCat loved the answer, this was so thoughtful, im glad u took out the time to explain the "why's"
The Power of Trust: Building a strong foundation of trust is vital. For me, trust isn't just a nice-to-have; it's the cornerstone of effective teamwork and collaboration. When trust is established, it transforms group dynamics, making the environment more open and productive. It's like having a reliable partner in a challenging expedition—essential for navigating the journey successfully.
Balancing High Standards with Support: Setting ambitious goals while offering ample support resonates deeply with me. It’s crucial because I believe in striving for excellence without losing sight of the well-being of the team. This balance ensures that we’re not only achieving high standards but also maintaining a positive and supportive work environment. It's akin to climbing a mountain with a well-equipped team—both challenging and rewarding.
Self-Care and Alignment: Integrating self-care with aligning work to personal strengths is crucial for me. When my work aligns with my passions and strengths, it not only enhances my productivity but also brings a sense of fulfillment and joy. It's like finding the perfect blend of comfort and purpose, making every task feel more meaningful and less of a chore.
@kabir22 Those are some really good points, keep working on yourself! youre doing great so far <3
Trust, collaboration and self-efficacy
@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 investing in listeners , expecting failure, self care is priority witch creat perfect comfort zone to learn , grow encouraging creative work with balanced healthy life
I agree with this, I also thought it was important to expect failure and also create balance. Thank you for sharing :)
Three things that I learned were:
1) The gas tank metaphor for the
site and for ourselves is that taking care of yourself is important; by doing that, you can help support 7 Cups as a whole.
2)
Failure is something that Cups expects. It is alright to fail and it is
not something to be afraid of doing, and this environment will work to
help support you.
3) Cups prioritizes self-efficacy through its
members and listeners, encouraging independence and progress for all. It
acknowledges that problems may arise, but this community may help you
solve them and gain increased skills.
This is important because it shows just how people-oriented Cups is and how they understand that everyone is a human that is multi-dimensional. I agree with these beliefs and am grateful to be engaging with such a place.
@WillingToHelpU
Yes, exactly! I think that you have summed up perfectly the significance of being on 7 cups. It truly is a place that represents what it means to be a community. I'm so glad that you're a part of it!
Three things I learned from the 7 Cups Culture discussion:
-The full tank idea is so important for me to continue to work on since I sometimes allow myself to run my tank too low before I make sure I am taking care of myself. I need to be more mindful that I will be better able to help our members if I help myself first.
-It is so important that we continue to reach members who are in need that might not have access to counseling services. The fact that we are volunteer listeners I believe is always so appreciated by the members we help because they always thank me so much for giving them my time.
-It is strengths based, we identify our strengths and utilize those skills while also learning new skills and develop new strengths.
@Hope
The 3 most important things I learned are:
1. Your Work Matters - It is easy to get caught up in a community in which you have countless interactions on a daily basis. At times, you're not even conscious about the fact that your supportive and comforting words do indeed have the power to change people's lives for the better. 7 cups offer a place of belonging and safety because of the positive impact that we have upon each other and I think that is highly encouraging and motivating.
2. High Expectations and High Warmth - It is important to set high expectations and warmth because it helps to uphold a standard that is collectively beneficial. Additionally, it fosters learning and growth. For instance, as a listener when I hold myself accountable and improve performance through feedback, I am better able to support my peers and members. When paired with extending warmth, it cultivates the feeling of safety and trust. Altogether, they promote the efficiency of cups.
3. Take Care of Yourself - This is essential because you can't fully be present and engaged if you don't put yourself first, in terms of self-care. It's like the saying, "You can't pour from an empty cup." It takes a lot of energy to perform different tasks and in order to produce that energy, you need to accumulate it first. Besides, prioritizing your needs is essential to your well-being. Personally, I am guilty of not taking proper care of myself and instead, I tend to prioritize other people's needs above my own. Therefore, this part of the guide was a vital reminder/wake-up call for me.
@hopefulDew435
Thank you for sharing your thoughts, they were very insightful and thorough. What you wrote about High Expectations & High Warmth resonated with me particularly much. I think striking that balance between standards and compassion is so important for the well-being of a community's culture.
The three most important things I gained from this is :
Compassion for self and others.
To never give up no matter what.. things can always improve .
To forgive yourself and others’ mistakes.. we are all human after all.
@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.
High expectations and high warmth- it is important to me because many underestimate themselves, their abilities and talents. Having high expectations makes you challenge yourself pushing you to become your best version. But this of course isn’t possible in a criticism filled overly-competitive environment. Warmth, affection and compassion should be present in one’s surrounding to aid them when it gets tough. This allows them to achieve success through encouragement and constant support without falling behind while still having high standards for themselves.
Failure- It’s refreshing to hear that failure is not a shock factor but is rather expected and welcomed. Failure is eventual in anyone’s work, activities and even in daily life. We need to make mistakes to learn what is right. Although avoiding failures is the best option, they may eventually occur. Knowing there is a support system to guide and encourage you through your failures without criticism or degradation of your abilities is so relieving. This allows a person to better themselves in a positive environment where support is not scarce.
Self efficacy or mastery- considering the 7cups platform as a video game where each level gets you a win is motivating and fun. The more effort you put into completing each level, the more badges or other types of rewards you will receive. Starting off of easy levels but the levels getting harder and more challenging will build confidence in the long run to achieve even better success in harder tasks. This factor is quite important to me since confidence is significant in reaching success in any field in life.
