thankful that my family is generally happy to get together. Family gatherings are not “command performances” but are events we willingly create and look forward to.
Magnet, not mandate.
The same concept came up during my visit to The Malin last month. It’s a gorgeous coworking space in NYC. When the CEO was asked during an interview about how return to the office mandates were affecting his business, he looked a bit surprised. His answer: “People want to come to work here. There is no need to mandate it. We just need to make sure what we offer is an upgrade on working from home.”
If I lived in New York, I’d want to go to work at The Malin. Magnet, not mandate.
Organizational values are similar. I prefer to see teams united around a compelling mission and set of behaviours that pull them toward one another with a strong centripetal force than teams that are constantly pushing in various directions against the outer edges of what’s permitted.
Personally, your plans for the next chapter of your life would ideally be like that too: a future you are excited about is propelling you forward rather than feeling like you are being pushed or dragged into it.
What might it take for you to create conditions that feel more like a magnet than a mandate?