World-Building and Culture (4-22-25)

Last week we kicked off a series focused on different storytelling tricks and mechanics, and we analyzed unreliable narrators. This week we are going to dive into world-building and culture.

World-building is the creation of a fictional world that is believable and consistent within the context of the story (WORLDBUILDING Definition & Meaning – Merriam-Webster). It is comprised of all of the details that describe the world, how it works, and how the characters operate in that world. Some fictional worlds are grounded in realism, while some are grounded in fantasy.

Pretend for a minute that you’re reading a story that takes place in England. There are dragons in the story. Does it make sense to have dragons in the story? It depends. If the book is Pride and Prejudice, and the world is built more on realism then the dragons don’t fit. If the book is Harry Potter, and the world is built on magic and mythical creature than a dragon fits right in.

You’re probably wondering how this connects to work. Pretend for a minute that someone challenges the leader in a meeting. Is this okay? It depends. If the culture is one that is built on hierarchy and fear, then this is not acceptable behavior. If this is a psychologically safe culture where people are encouraged to challenge ideas, then not only is challenging the leader acceptable, but it is also expected. I’ve been on teams in both situations, have you? How did you feel about living in each of those cultures?

With all this in mind, what if building culture is the same thing as world-building? Building culture is comprised of all of the details that describe the group’s mission, how the team works, and how the characters operate within that culture. We can influence all of those things. We can set the mission. We can set the tone for what mindsets and behaviors are acceptable and rewarded. We all have the power to influence and build the culture we want to be in.

The challenge- What kind of world, what kind of culture will you build?

Bonus deep reflection- What kind of culture/world do you think your actions create around you? How do your behaviors create that culture/world?

I’d hope that people say, “Andrew creates a culture of care, creativity, and nerdtastic fun and authenticity.” These are the things I’m intentionally trying to build. I try to invest time in understanding people and showing them I appreciate them. I build a culture of creativity by embracing messy problems, making connections, and being willing to try new things. I’m nerdtastic fun from my socks to my Team’s background, which sends a message that I’m comfortable with who I am and I want you to be who you are too. I may not always succeed at building this world, but that’s what I constantly try to do.

Have a jolly good day,

Andrew Embry

Reward Systems, Scoring Points, and Knowing Where You Are (3-25-20)

Last week was about Alice, the science fair, and teaching people to do things on their own. This week is about reward systems, scoring points, and knowing where you are.

Back in 2019 my wife and I came up with a reward system based on the Harry Potter House Cup system where the students earn points for good behavior and lose points for bad behavior. We decided to create our own House Cup, and we are each represented by the house the Pottermore Sorting Hat put us in: Gryffindor (Violet), Ravenclaw (Alice), Slytherin (my wife) and Hufflepuff (myself). After sorting ourselves into houses, we worked with the kids to identify things they could do to earn points. For example, doing chores without complaining could earn them 2 points. Going all day without getting a timeout could earn them 10 points. We also worked with them to create a list of rewards they would get for earning so many points. 50 points would earn an extra book at bedtime. 1700 points resulted in no chores for a week. This system has continued to work well with my girls. I believe part of the reason why it works so well is because it is incredibly clear. They know exactly how to earn points and where they stand in relation to the next goal/prize. As a result of this, they are inspired and motivated to exhibit the right behaviors, which is a win for everyone in the house, especially my wife and myself.

How does this connect to work? Have you ever been in a situation where you didn’t know what it took to win or where you didn’t know how you were tracking toward a goal? How did you feel in those situations? I’ve been in those situations, and it didn’t feel good. I often felt disengaged, because I had no idea if I was doing the right things or making progress. Sometimes this was a project where I didn’t know what I was shooting for. Other times it is how I’ve felt about my career, not knowing what it takes and where I stand in regards to expectations and how to get to where I want to go.

This lack of clarity exists for multiple reasons. Maybe, what good looks like is not well defined. Maybe, different people have various views on what good looks like, which creates inconsistent goals. Maybe, you do not have the ability to know and/or receive feedback to tell you where you are in the grand scheme of things. No matter the cause, this lack of clarity can be incredibly disengaging when you don’t know where you stand and what is required to move forward.

The challenge: As leaders how can we bring clarity to the behaviors that are required to win? As leaders how do we ensure that individuals know where they stand in relation to their goals?

If I’m being entirely honest, now is one of those times when it is hard to know what “winning” looks like. I’m trying to give myself and others grace as we all work together to figure this out.

What does it look like to be a “good” husband/dad/friend/co-worker right now?
What does “good” movement on projects look like with everything going on?
What does “good” look like when it comes to maintaining the team’s culture and vibe?

Have a jolly good day,

Andrew Embry

Dementors, the Patronus Charm, and your Why (3-15-17)

This will be the last in our Harry Potter series. Over the past few weeks we have covered self-doubt and running out of magic, prioritization and golden snitches, and connecting with others and the power of a pensieve. We will close out this series by focusing on fighting dementors with your patronus.

It is said that when dementors are around you, everything grows cold, dark, and sad. Dementors are these dark shadowy creatures that suck the joy, happiness, and life out of people. If you’re a muggle, you’re probably wondering how you combat a dementor. You do this with the Patronus Charm, which allows the spell caster to shoot out a bright shining shield of positivity called a patronus. A simple patronus will look like a white shining ball while a powerful patronus will often take on the form of some kind of animal. In order for the Patronus Charm to work the caster must dig deep within themselves to find their hope, life, and brightness, flourish their wand, and exclaim “Expecto patronum.” (Some of you are like, Expecto Patronum sounds like a fancy tequila. If you weren’t thinking it. You are now. You’re welcome.)

So you’re probably wondering what this has to do with work. When I mentioned that dementors suck the joy, happiness, and life out of people, did anyone or anything pop into mind? If you’re anything like me, different projects, situations, and even some people popped into my head. The fact is stuff happens at work and in life that drains us. Sometimes life surrounds us with negativity and saps our strength. When this happens we need to find the fuel for our patronus aka our happiness, our why, our reason for doing what we do. The only way you can fight darkness and tough times is with some hope, purpose, and grit. Once we find these things, we need to latch onto them, so we can fight back those dementors that try to suck the life out of us. What’s your why? What’s your reason that keeps you going through tough times?

The challenge: What is your fuel for your patronus? Will you be ready to shout, “Expecto patronum” when the dementors come?

Have a jolly good day,

Andrew Embry

A Pensieve and Connecting with Others (3-8-17)

Last week was about prioritization and catching the golden snitch. This week we are going to continue diving into the world of Harry Potter by reflecting on the powers of a pensieve and the idea of connecting with others.

A pensieve is a magical device that stores memories and allows others to view those memories from the person’s perspective. Here is how the pensieve works. A wizard uses their wand to pull a memory from their mind and then they place the memory in the bowl (the pensieve). Then, the wizard and even other wizards can dive into the pensieve to experience that memory together. The pensieve is used throughout the series as Dumbledore replays memories for Harry and others. It gives other characters an opportunity to see things from the memory bearer’s point of view, giving them new insight and broader perspective.

What if we could do something like that? Imagine for a minute how interesting this would be. Imagine being able to step into the memory of another person to see what they saw in a given situation and to be able to experience what they experienced. It would be pretty interesting. Imagine how this could help you learn to appreciate them and what they go through. Imagine how much this could broaden your perspective and you as a person.

So what does a pensieve have to do with work? Obviously we don’t have the magic to jump inside the memories of each other. However, we could still do something similar, because we have the power to empathize with each other. We have the ability to connect more deeply with each other. We can strive to do better empathizing with each other and understanding where each of us is coming from. We have the opportunity to do all these things, but we don’t always take advantage of those opportunities. If you’re anything like me, sometimes I just can’t find the time. I get so busy focusing on the work that I begin to look past the people. Sure I might chat with them from time to time, but I don’t always connect with them. I know I can do better. I don’t need a pensieve, I just need to be willing to put forth the time and effort.

The challenge: Are you being intentional about connecting with others?

Have a jolly good day,

Andrew Embry

Quidditch, Golden Snitches, and Prioritization (3-1-17)

Last week was about Hermione Granger, self-doubt, and running out of magic. This week we are going to turn to quidditch for a lesson in prioritization. In case you’re a muggle, allow me to explain Quidditch. The game consists of two teams of 7 players who fly on brooms and try to score points. There are 4 “balls” that are in play during a match. There is one quaffle (a ball you grab and throw through hoops to earn points), two bludgers (enchanted balls that try to knock people off their brooms), and one golden snitch.

The golden snitch is a small flittery ball that is enchanted to make is extremely elusive. Capturing the ball is worth a lot of points and is the only way to stop the match. Basically, capturing the golden snitch is the most important thing you can do in the game to achieve victory. In order to catch the golden snitch, each team has a player designated as the Seeker. The Seeker is a skilled flyer with a fast broom and their job is to avoid the other team and the bludgers in order to capture the golden snitch. The other players work with the Seeker to help them achieve the goal. You can click HERE to see this in action. So you’re probably wondering what this has to do with prioritization. As the paragraph states above, the golden snitch is the most important thing in the game. This means that each team prioritizes its personnel, effort, skills, and strategies in a way that boosts their ability to capture the golden snitch. If the team doesn’t prioritize golden snitch catching activities, then they will lose.

So what does this have to do with work? In quidditch the golden snitch is clearly identified as the most important thing to achieve. In the real world it doesn’t work like that. Instead, it is up to the team to look at a very complex market in order to decide what is the most important thing the team must achieve in order to be successful. Another connection is that just like quidditch, in the real world you are flying around in a crazy environment where bludgers (external forces) try to knock you off your focus while competitors fly all around you chasing goals. You are forced to navigate an extremely complicated landscape, and it is up to you to prioritize the people, effort, skills, time, and strategies that will enable you to capture your golden snitch. If you asked your team right now what the golden snitch is that your team is trying to capture, could they tell you? If you asked them how their work enabled the team to capture the golden snitch would they know? If I asked you what your golden snitch was, would you have an answer? If you don’t know what your golden snitch is you can’t figure out how to catch it, which just leaves you fly around fast in circles. Sure it might look impressive, but it’s not really getting anything done. I’m sure we all have had that experience, right? I know that I’m currently in the stage of messy confusion where I’m spending time trying to figure out what my golden snitch is so I can best catch it, so if you’re there too then you aren’t alone.

The challenge: What is your team’s golden snitch? How are you prioritizing your efforts to ensure that everything is aligned to catching that golden snitch? (If only it were as easy as “accio what should be my top priority.”)

Have a jolly good day,

Andrew Embry

Hermione, Self-Doubt, and Running out of Magic (2-22-17)

It’s time to go full on nerdtastic. This week we will kick of a series inspired by Harry Potter. Spoiler alert. This series will divulge plots points and secrets. You’ve been warned. This week is about self-doubt and my fear of “running out of magic.”

In the Harry Potter universe, magic does not just stem from natural ability. Instead, the power of your magic comes from your learning and practice. That’s why they send people to Hogwarts to develop their skills. I would argue that Harry Potter is one of the more naturally talented characters, but it is Hermione Granger who is the best wizard in her class. She’s a studious bookworm who has built up quite the knowledge base and who puts a lot of effort into practicing, so whenever everybody’s back is against the wall she’s the one who knows what to do. Obviously, her natural ability, wand, and other magical artifacts have a positive impact on her, but it is the combination of these with her work ethic that always helps her come out on top.

You’re probably wondering what this has to do with doubt. I recently started a new role, and the team has given me a very warm reception. Even with this, self-doubt keeps creeping in. My current self-doubt conversation goes like this, “Andrew, what if you don’t meet their expectations. What if you fail? What if this is the role when you run out of magic?” I’ve been stuck on that last phrase for a few weeks and then all of a sudden one day after I said, “What if this is the role when you run out of magic?” I replied with, “Forget that. I’m going to be like Hermione Granger,” for all the reasons mentioned in the above paragraph.

How does this connect to work? I’m guessing you probably have these self-doubt fueled conversations. If you’re anything like me, when you have these conversations you forget who you are and you conjure up these stories about how the only reason you are where you are is because of luck and because people haven’t figured out you’re an imposter yet. Now don’t get me wrong, luck and other factors definitely play a role in success, much like how a wand plays a role in Hermione’s magic, but at the same time, it’s not all just because of luck. You’ve put the work in. You’ve pulled through in tough situations. That same skill and tenacity that helped you be successful then will help you now. These are the things I have to remind myself of when I’m filled with doubt and am afraid of running out of magic.

The challenge: How will you respond when you are afraid of running out of magic? Remember this when you face self-doubt. You aren’t here by accident. You’ve put the work in. You aren’t a muggle. You are a powerful wizard. Now go cast some spells starting with Accio confidence!

Have a jolly good day,

Andrew Embry