Course 1, Discussion 5: 7 Cups Culture

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.

Friendliness and Conscientiousness: I think that the most important qualities of this community are its friendliness and inclusiveness. We must be conscientious to achieve that especially the leaders.

Caring for People with Fewer Financial Resources: 7 Cups is there because many people do not think they can seek professional support. Many of them can not afford it. We should never lose sight of that.

Strengths-Based: 7 Cups works because many people volunteer lots of time and energy to the project. The many communities, tracks and roles that we have allow many to find a way to contribute according to their interests and strengths. It helps us do good work and also keeps us feeling good about what we do.

@Magnificentsunrise

Great reflection, I agree with everything you said.

✒️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.

TRUST-mutally established for personal growth and toward 7 Cups mission.

INVEST-7 Cups invests in the community aligns with work that is good, interesting and brings a solution.

EQUALITY-Every person has value and is accepted from whatever background. One is also treated with respect, dignity and equal rights. 7 Cups embraces diversity.

@Hope
High Expectations & High Warmth is important to me. I do understand that without this partnering, the environment would be either stagnant or low quality. From what I have seen, in a group aspect 7cups is the best environment I have been a part of. I think with it being online, it saves a lot of certain types of stress making it easier, though. Thriving while learning/being warm and friendly to increase trust is an important skill that I want to be confident enough to emit in my every day life instead of feeling like I have to protect myself from things people/family considers normal or necessary/unavoidable.
Expecting Failure because "problems [are] disguised gifts". That's it. There is no growing without some failure and learning what not to do. Failure is beautiful as long as I can pick myself up. I'm proud of myself whenever I succeed and I'm proud to see other people thrive in tiny moments this way too.
Accountability is all encompassing to me. Reading through the culture of 7cups... I know I need it the most and I am working on it. I learned early on to prioritize myself because I am no use without being closer to healthy than not. However, occasionally I question if I use it as an excuse because I don't want to put effort in. When I do question it, I try to do that thing anyway just in case. I want to be a hard worker but not exert myself to the point I wouldn't want someone else to. I've been called lazy or a slow worker before. Not by jobs but myself or my family. I want to be held accountable for everything as I hope others will hold themselves accountable as well.
In that environment, I have been decent at time management. I do try, I just don't feel like I try hard enough anymore. I'd say it's a self esteem issue but I'm not sure. I'm working on this.

@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.

1. To have a purpose - Coming here and supporting others is a valuable purpose.
2. Put effort into what you do - What you do matters, how you treat others matters as well.
3. Self care matters - If you're not in a balanced state, you can't support others. Take care of yourself so that you can support others into doing the same.

@Hope

The 3 things are:

1. Alignment with organisation's mission and visions

2. Importance of keeping support accessible to those who are financially weaker

3. 7 Cups will fiercely protect the safety of the space.

@JLisjustlistening

Thank you for your insight and good luck with the course :)

@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.

- "We Expect Failure" - failing is okay, when trying things we will fail, it's part of learning and growing and we must try things and fail to find things that work.

- "Self-Efficacy or Mastery" - Wanting you to learn to trust yourself more and continuously grow more.

-We do not believe that you can plan your way to success. Rather, we believe you become successful through solving the next biggest and most pressing problem that is in front of you.

^ These are some of my favourites! ♡

Heya @TabbyCat97

Those are such amazing values Tabby, thanks so much for sharing them with us!

Best of luck with the program!

@TabbyCat97 I love the idea of tackling the biggest and most pressing problems head on! As a community, even the most daunting issues can be resolved step by step.

@Hope

The most important things I learnt from this guide were:

• The concept of self efficacy - the ability to improve yourself until these changes amalgamate into the best person you can be
• Flow states - the ability to focus and mentally participate in a task by choosing one we are good at and enjoy
• The formation of a culture of trust is an active process in which time and conscious effort needs to be spent.

Thanks for making this course, its given me a lot to think over!

@charmingEagle47 Those are great points, Eagle!

✒️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 most important value of 7 Cups for me is Solving Problems That Matter.

This one is such a big thing. The world is such a stressful place for the most part and people are struggling with their mental health.
Cups offers something that is very simple, very basic, something that is so important and yet so rare. That something is empathy.
I think what most people need is not a solution to their problems, but someone who will listen to them and understand them. They don't need a teacher, they need a friend. And that's what Cups offers, and I think that is truly very special.

The next one for me is a combination of Try Hard and Expect Failure

This one is very important to me because I have always been a perfectionist. So trying hard comes naturally to me but expecting, or rather, accepting failure doesn't.
Cups has taught me that failure is not the end of the world. It's just a part of life. And it's okay to fail. It's okay to not be perfect. It's okay to be human. And that's something I really needed to hear.
All that can be asked of me is for me to try my best. And that's what I'll do. It's a lesson hard learned, but I'm glad I learned it.

The last one for me is Have Fun

In my opinion, this one is essential in every aspect of life. If you're not having fun, what's the point?
So I try my best to have as much fun as I can while on here, and try my very best to make sure that the people I interact with have fun too.

@Mahad2804

You highlighted some of the most important parts.

Thank you for reinforcing those.

@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.

1. Friendliness and Conscientiousness - For this community to thrive, it is crucial to foster a welcoming and encouraging atmosphere that upholds high standards of morale and ethics. These values are integral to our longevity and success.
   
   
2. Collaborate - We all have unique perspectives and approaches when it comes to solving problems. By collaborating and working together, we can support one another in finding solutions. Diverse viewpoints allow us to see situations in new ways, broadening our understanding. When we unite as a community to address challenges, we can achieve great success.
   
   
3. Accountability - "You are accountable to yourself, but also to the team, the community, and the mission." Demonstrating accountability is a key trait of responsibility. Your reliability, diligence, and sound judgment reflect a deep understanding of 7 Cups' mission. As a dependable leader committed to fulfilling your responsibilities, you contribute to a thriving community where things run smoothly.

@Jenna Wonderful answers!!!

@Jenna Wow, you've got this! Thank you for your amazing job <3

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.

"Your Work Matters"

No matter if you are part of the admin team and are getting paid, or every other volunteer here, you absolutely matter! I speak to new listeners on a daily basis who express that they feel they aren't doing enough for the members. But I always let them know that even by being a sounding board, they are allowing the members to be heard.

A lot of the time, we are the only safe place for a lot of these members which is a great honor and privilege

"Solving Problems That Matter"

I am absolutely someone who sees problems and wants to solve them in the most efficient way possible. I see my strength on Cups being caring about everyone's safety and ensuring that the guidelines are upheld. This can be done by working alongside ambassadors and admin of certain tracks.

I am truly so grateful to already be PA in the quality track and have such an amazing team of people that I get to work alongside. I thank @FrenchMarbles for introducing me to QM which then led into the other roles I now have. @EvelyneRose and @InternalAcceptance also support me in the best way possible when I am trying to get to the bottom of the problem and see what the best solution is. I truly look forward to working my way up in Quality so that I can work even harder to ensure this is the safest place for everyone.

In the guide, it states: "We do not believe that you can plan your way to success. Rather, we believe you become successful through solving the next biggest and most pressing problem that is in front of you." This is why I am going to continue to work hard at ensuring that Listeners are heard and safe.

I have a heart for the teens and definitely feel very protective over them. I do believe I am here to advocate for those who may have a harder time advocating for themselves. If I am able to help even just one person here, then I consider that success!

"Accountability"

Accountability is big for me because, without it, we can't grow. Feedback is sometimes hard to hear and digest. But I do challenge myself (and my mentee's) to hear constructive criticism and allow it to be words that encourage them and myself to grow as listeners.

To me, accountability also means admitting when we are at fault and trying to make our wrongs right. Again, something that is a very important quality to possess as a leader on Cups (and in general). If we are not able to admit that we are wrong or that we may have seen things in a different light, that is the expectation we are setting to the team that we are leading. Instead, we should be showing the team that it is absolutely okay to make mistakes but when we do, it's important to own it, apologize and move on.

(A side note to quickly say that although I mentioned a few names in the post above, I could have mentioned so many more. I am privileged to be in so many different teams and working alongside so many amazing people that it would be hard to name them all. I chose to point out the quality team as that is one that I plan on working my way up to hopefully becoming ambassador one day. This is in no way meaning that I don't love all the teams that I am on, because I absolutely do)

✒️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.

1. High standards. Having the highest of standards with highest of acceptance for trying to reach them but failing

2. Trust. Trusting ourselves and others to reach where we want to

3. High warmth towards yourself and others while reaching your goals

@Rivelino3

I agree with you that all three of those are so important.

Trust is very important in a team, but you also raise a great point about how important it is to first have trust and confidence in ourselves.

1. It's okay to fail. Don't be afraid to expect failure. It's helpful to acknowledge this fact because you will fail at one point or another, and that's okay. Failure is not the end of anything, it's a learning point. One should stay focused on their path and try again whenever needed.

2. The importance of friendliness and conscientiousness. They build trust. Friendliness and conscientiousness are important because we need others to trust us with our job.

3. You are accountable to yourself and your team. If you commit to a task, you must complete it. You should be able to do your work properly and on time. We should be aware of this because everyone has a task or project to work on.

@RosaHere

those are some great points! 💛

@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.

Outstanding that 7Cups can offer care with a minimum of resources but loads of Human Resources that care and make it happen. I appreciate the Accountability and the reliance on Metrics to constantly measure the individual Leadership accomplishments AND 7Cups expects and grows from 'Failure'; too many think that a measure of success is NO Failure - my life taught me differently.

✒️ Please reply to at least 1 of your peers in this thread with encouraging or supportive words!

@Hope

High expectations and warmth: It is very important to me to ensure that 7 Cups users receive genuine, well-researched, and well-thought-out replies. They are vulnerable and need access to the best resources they can get at the time.

Collaborate: Collaboration is important between team members and helps bring out a greater selection of ideas to choose from. This increases creativity and has the potential to result in a more nuanced solution.

We Expect Failure: Failure is nothing to be ashamed of but must be used as a learning opportunity while giving each person enough time and mental space to reflect. No shame here.

@Gilbird

These were amazing things that u learnt and pointed out! Keep going!

@Hope The 3 most important things I have learned from the guide are:

1. Take Care of Yourself : I feel this the most important

2. Self-Efficacy or Mastery: It is important to improve ourselves

3. Accountability : It is important work ethic

@Hope

This post will list what I believe are the three most important things I learned from the guide below. Again, overall really useful information.

1. collaboration, here at 7 cups we all work together to make this site, a really excepting and safe place for all of our members and listeners. Collaboration, enhances, good leader, ship skills respecting everyone’s ideas regardless of any factors we may think will get in the way of a person collaborating we must be respectful of their ideas because they might be really helpful, and help us make decisions and move forward. These qualities can be shown at school, in the community, and at work this is not just apply to cups.
2. Excepting failure is also important we can’t all be good at something, life does not work like that. However, we can use support systems or collaboration, as mentioned in the last point to help us, learn and grow. We can also realize that if we were perfect, the world would be boring it’s completely understandable if someone does not understand everything in a task, that’s why collaboration and excepting failure go hand-in-hand.
3. Try hard, practice, practice, and more practice! If you don’t put in 100% effort, chances are you haven’t put in your best effort. Without practice, we wouldn’t know how to do any of the things we can do. If you didn’t practice tying your shoes when you were young, chances are, you wouldn’t be able to tie them now as an adult.

@Artalistens so glad that you took the time and reflected in the best possible way , all da best for the journey ahead !!

@Hope Thank you for your post!

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

Friendliness and Conscientiousness, we need to build up trust in the community.

Collaborate, as we can solve problem only through discussion and collaboration.

We expect Failure, as we are not perfect and not everything will go right at the first try. The key is to stay focused and keep trying

@Hope I've taken the course exam and I did everything perfectly! Thank you, this course was so informative and we are only starting!

@Hope

What I learned:

1. That I am gonna do a very serious, meaningful yet a rewarding role
2. 7 cups work on trust
3. Focus on the problems
4. High expectations and warmth
5. Our work has value and it's required to be done urgently

Why it is important:

Because I have committed myself to be a part of this, for my own good and for others

@warmheartedCamp3360

I'm totally with you... I agree that cups culture works on making more out of each individual by providing them the support and environment they need to discover their hidden potential and strengths.

@Hope

3 most important things i learned from this guide are as follows:
1. Importance of trust and high expectations
2. Investment in personal growth and strengths
3. Learning from failure

There three highlights emphasize the importance of creating positive and supportive culture where each individual can make a meaningful impact.

@Hope Three of the most important things I learned from this guide are 7 Cups' dedication to financial accessibility, the high expectations/high warmth dynamic, and the recognition that not everyone is a good fit. I found these important because as a low income student, I often lack access to opportunities due to financial concerns. In addition, I firmly believe that being encouraging and supporting while pushing yourself and others is absolutely necessary to succeed; I think sometimes mental health platforms make the mistake of explaining away problems or mistakes rather than working to combat them and hold yourself accountable, so I like that 7 Cups addresses this. Lastly, I thought the recognition that not everyone is a good fit for 7 Cups was very mature. As much as we try to promote an inclusive culture, not everyone will find 7 Cups helpful and it is okay to have other interests and other ways of helping the community.

@Hope

* We expect failure

At the end of the day we all are humans and mistakes happen but important things is to learn from them .

*Try Hard

It helps to stay active and dedicated towards our work in the team as well as our job as listeners. If we have to be a good listener we need to dedicate ourselves to complete the given tasks in time .

*Strengths based

If we work on something that we are good at then chances are high that the work will be better and faster. It makes us much more effective and productive.

The 3 most important things to me: Trust because without trust you can't move forward. Expecting failure - I think failure is a natural thing that happens to everyone and it is one of the things that most helps a person to move forward. And the third is to maintain a safe atmosphere and the fuel tank.

To help make it more real, in this post, please highlight the three most important things you learned from our guide and why they are important to you

1) We expect a lot from you. You might feel like we think you are more capable than other people have suggested or maybe even more capable than how you see yourself. That is okay. Every person on the team has outperformed and done better than they expected. This is largely because warmth, patience, and trust help people make much more progress than they have in other environments. This paragraph stood out to me especially because warmth, patience and trust are three things I truly sensed when I first joined 7cups :) I also hope to help others feel this warmth as well :3

2) ‘Take Care of Yourself’ - It’s beautiful how we here at 7cups truly care about everyone here <3 and everyone’s wellbeing. I think self-care is extremely important <3

3) ‘Have Fun and Be Fulfilled’ - I think it’s hard to truly succeed at something if you have no interest in it, or you’re not having any fun. You will also benefit from something more when you are having fun doing it and when you’re personally fulfilled :3

I really enjoyed reading the guide <3 thank you so much :)

@LoveMyMoonflowers
The amount of effort you put into your response is really cool, well done(:

@8grim8

thank you so much! 💜

@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.

3 things that I learnt were:

1. Failure : no one is perfect and it's okay to fail. We should work on that failure but never be ashamed of it.

2. Accountability: since 7 cups is a collaborative team work , we should be responsible and accountable for ourselves and not let others point out for our mistakes.

3. Trust: Everything here at 7 cups works on trust. We should be honest with whatever we do and not lie in any moment of our work at 7 cups. Honesty and integrity is important.