The Cultural Synergist


Insights for the month with Dr Tom Verghese
The Cultural Synergist- Insights for the month

January 2022

Issue # 165

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Re-evaluation, recalibration & redirection...

Happy new year to all our readers!

Here’s hoping 2022 brings us the renewal and relief that many of us need as the world seeks to manage and move forward from the Covid pandemic.

As a new year begins, there is often a sense of renewal. Part of my personal practice is to choose a word of the year that I feel aligns with a goal or approach for the year. Clearly it is never easy to land on one word and in going through that process I thought there was some other key words that could summarise trends that are occurring now at a global level as the year starts.

1) Re-evaluation

There has been lot of press about the great resignation, thousands of people choosing to leave their employment and there is a significant data to support this trend. There are numerous movements in US, Asia and Australia which are encouraging people to rethink the attitude to work and what it brings them. Fundamentally, the pandemic has forced people to re-evaluate. People are asking the big existential questions of themselves, questioning their life purpose, what life is about, why they are working and how much money they really need.

2) Recalibration

After re-evaluating, people are recalibrating their lives to better align with their values and what they have realised is important to them. This might mean leaving work, moving to another location, taking up new studies or starting a new venture.

3) Redirection

Redirecting is also a necessary part of this change as focus and energy are shifted to the new phase. I appreciate that this is often easier said than done. However, if redirection is not put into place then it is a repetition of the same.

So what does this mean for organisations?

For organisations there is a need to focus more on the concept and practice of inclusion. It is about attracting and retaining talent so people will stay and be engaged in their work. A considered approach to what the needs of employees are, given the current situation is necessary. As leaders, how do you create safe spaces so that you hear and see what is important for your teams? The pandemic has brought about a shift and impacted on the value of work in society and perhaps forged a new era in the way that organisations engage with their staff.

In what ways are you re-evaluating, recalibrating and redirecting your life?

Quote of the month:

Book recommendation:


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Reinvent the Wheel, Megan McNealy
In Reinvent the Wheel, McNealy takes on the mistaken belief, pervasive in our workplaces, that doing well is more important than being well. In executive summary style, with to-the-point research combined with poignant stories, McNealy shows that well-being, in fact, drives, promotes and accelerates success.

The secret sauce of Reinvent the Wheel is a simple, yet powerful image, the Well Being Wheel, created by McNealy to reinforce her revolutionary process for achieving total well-being. Created to restore her own well-being and turbo-charge her success, the Well Being Wheel is used by thousands of business high-achievers as a tool for optimizing their health, happiness, and work performance. Each succinct chapter highlights a spoke of the Wheel.

Along with instructions to readers for customizing the 18 spokes for themselves, the book features exclusive interviews and original content from 18 well-being fueled "Exceptional Executives," CEOs, founders and entrepreneurs who master and leverage these different aspects of well-being, and consistently show up in breakout mode. With surprising candor and openness, the Exceptional Executives share their secrets to well-being, and include, among others: John Mackey, Co-founder of Whole Foods Market, Steven Rice, Chief Human Resources Officer, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Kara Goldin, Founder and CEO of Hint, Inc., Chip Conley, Founder of Joie de Vivre Hotels, Gopi Kallayil, Chief Evangelist of Brand Marketing at Google, and Robyn Denholm, CFO Telstra Corporation and Chairman of the Board of Tesla. Their behind-the-scenes strategies inspire the reader to up-level their belief in what level of success, in business and life, is possible.