A bi-monthly newsletter on stories, ideas and frameworks related to the vast concept of Leadership.
Who you Work with Matters (And other OD Secrets)
Published 7 months ago • 2 min read
Who you Work with Matters (And other OD Secrets)
By Adi
Solution Architect and Founder of ARC
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Hello and Welcome to ARC’s Leadership Campfire.
I (Adi) am back to share another edition with you.
Every 15 days, we gather around in this virtual campfire to share stories, ideas, and frameworks about Leadership. Anything, that helps you to become better leaders at work, in life, and beyond.
“Leadership is a vast concept, this newsletter condenses it.”
This one’s special- close to my heart. It’s about who you work with and the 4 things to look for (or build) in a workplace to make most of your limited time.
One Idea. Every 15 Days.
One Thing to Learn
Fact: You’ll spend a significant chunk of your life with your co-workers.
1) Hence, I am glad to have some amazing co-workers :)
2) I disagree with the time 'Indians spend sleeping', in fact it is definitely lesser :)
It might feel that we have countless weeks ahead of us. But the truth is, our working years are finite. It all fits perfectly in the image below.
If you look at the three data points, you’ll realise that a person in their mid-20s, who plans to work until 60, has only about 1170 working weeks left.
Yes, just 1,170 weeks! That's roughly, only 22 more summers.
But, don’t let that number scare you into abandoning your work for a back packing trip across the globe (though that does sound tempting). Instead, let’s talk about something practical.
3) Life in perspective. Spend more time with people that matter :)
Where you work matters. Who you work with matters even more.
Over the past two decades, I’ve distilled some wisdom on what makes a workplace worth your time. If you want to make the most of those 1,170 weeks, here are four things to seek or cultivate in your workplace:
Autonomy
The ability to build something
Exposure
Less constraints
(more on this below)
How to identify these aspects?
Listen closely during conversations with potential employers or even within your workspace.
Do they use words like “allow” or phrases like “this might fall outside your scope” too often?
When faced with tricky questions, do they say “Let me check and get back to you” instead of addressing them head-on?
These are all signs of the aspects written above. Every interaction with an organisation reveals its core- if you pay attention.
Through the Organisation Development (OD) Lens.
As an OD consultant, I’ve learned that observing an organisation’s physical environment can offer profound insights. For example:
An ID card scanner outside the bathroom might hint at a lack of trust.
Company values displayed prominently at the reception could indicate the values are more to show the world and less to practice internally.
Art depicting the Mahabharata in meeting rooms. Unsurprisingly, this client was dealing with conflict during their meetings
Just for reference.
Spotting these indicators is all about viewing the workplace through the OD lens. At ARC, our Values our linked to our Ways of Working. Sometimes remaining true to our core, requires us to say no to an organisation.
One thing to apply
One thing to Explore
If you are interested in the study of Organisation Development (OD) then head to this website https://www.appliedod.org
It something that my collegaues and I have been working on with full heart. What started as a passion for teaching has now turned into a full fledged course curriculum.
Check it out, you might find something that sparks your interest!
With that I am signing off for the year.
I would be in Istanbul for a holiday, when this mail reaches you.
ARC (Adi Raheja and Co) is a decade-old consulting firm in the field of Organisation Development and Leadership Development. Clients partner with us for some of the most innovative and impactful interventions to develop leaders, teams and culture and strategy. ARC’s main purpose is to Bring Humanness back into Consulting.
