7) Right now
I feel a mix of "light," grounded, alert, aware, alive, focused, calm,
centered, purposeful, "up," confidant, strong, serene,
realistic,
grounded, compassionate, resilient, and clear. (T F
?) These are symptoms that your personality is currently guided by your
true Self.
If you don't feel some mix
of these now, a false self is apt to distort your answers below.
Pause,
and notice
what your subselves are thinking and feeling now...
Now put these premises to work:
-
On a scale of 1 (very low nurturance) to 10 (very high nurturance), I'd rate my
childhood
family as a ___.
-
On the same 1-10 scale, I'd rate the nurturance-level
of my
current workplace
or school as a ___.
-
On a scale of 1 (I'm very
wounded psychologically) to 10 (I'm
wholistically healthy and have no significant wounds), I'm
a ___ .
Next, use your beliefs to get a sense of the nurturance-level of your work
setting. Set aside ~20" of undistracted time, and adopt the open mind of
a student. Choose the attitude that
anything you learn here can improve
your and any dependents' lives.
Common Traits of
High-nurturance Organizations
Premise: any organization that
consistently fills the
of its members or workers, clients, and funders well enough will have many of the
traits below.
Check the items below you feel clearly apply to your work
or school setting, or write a number from 1 (no) to
10 (yes). Don't check an item unless you can check each sub-item ("_")
without ambivalence.
Take your time to reflect on each item. Note that these
traits apply to classrooms, church congregations, neighborhoods, sports
teams, and volunteer organizations if you change "co-worker" to "group
member."
__ 1)
All
co-workers are _ clear enough on their organization's main
goals and policies, and _
respect them well enough. _ Leaders' behaviors consistently match and
promote these goals and policies.
__ 2) All co-workers feel their organization's executives,
managers, and supervisors are effective enough in their job roles.
This includes goal-setting, planning, delegating, evaluating, problem-solving,
deciding, supporting, coaching, coordinating, confronting, and appreciating.
__ 3)
All co-workers feel steady personal
_ pride in and _ concern
for _ themselves, _ each other, and _ the organization.
__ 4) All co-workers feel _ genuine self-respect and _ respect the equal
rights and
worth of each other enough, despite personal differences.
__ 5) Each co-worker knows clearly _ who
they work for in the organization, _ what their main job responsibilities
are, and _ how their performance is evaluated.
__ 6)
Each co-worker usually feels _ their job is worthwhile enough, _ satisfying
enough, and _ uses their talents and abilities well enough.
__ 7) Within limits, professional "mistakes" and
"failures" are usually seen as important chances
to grow, vs. reasons to blame, ridicule, and shame.
__ 8) Co-workers usually feel they're _ well trained enough and _
have enough resources to perform the roles they've accepted.
__
9) All co-workers feel
that written and verbal communication among all
levels of the organization is
enough.
__ 10) Co-workers steadily share a sense of
teamwork and common
purpose, vs. jealousy, antagonism, resentments, and insecurities.
_ 11) All co-workers are
effectively coached to do win-win
vs. arguing, fighting, blaming,
defending, and/or
avoiding.
_ 12) Co-workers are _ encouraged to propose responsible
improvements to the organization, and _ are recognized well enough for
doing so.
_ 13) Co-workers share a
high level of _ self and _ mutual trust. This promotes inner and mutual honesty;
there are no
major secrets, denials, or taboos (e.g. "We don't talk about that!")
_ 14) When
significant organizational changes occur, all co-workers feel they _ got
enough notice, _ understand the changes and how they'll
affect them, and _ have had enough opportunity to ask questions of, or make
suggestions to, appropriate people.
_ 15) Co-workers feel
they have adequate chances to discuss and resolve confusions and conflicts
over money, fringe benefits, and working conditions.
Recall -
these are common traits of a
high-nurturance (functional) organization.
_ 16) All co-workers are comfortable enough with the organization's
between professional and personal life.
_ 17) Co-workers are encouraged to
balance work, rest, and play,
and see all three as equally valuable to their job
performance and their organization's success.
_ 18) Managers and
workers generally
respect each other as equally-valuable people and
professionals, rather than feeling antagonistic, biased, or competitive.
_ 19)
Co-workers generally feel the management balances the needs of _
employees or members, _ clients, and _ funders well enough.
_ 20)
Co-workers _ feel safe in asking for help in resolving local problems, and _
usually do so, rather than being overwhelmed or ineffective.
_ 21)
Co-workers share
realistic (vs. idealistic) optimism and hopes; A general
spirit of "Let's try!" and "I / You / we can!" prevails.
_ 22)
All levels of co-workers
often exchange genuine, spontaneous, encouragements, affirmations, and appreciations
(praise).
_ 23) Co-workers are trained and encouraged to_ accurately
clients'
and _ factor those into the services
that they provide.
_ 24)
Co-workers _ understand what they need
to do to advance in the organization and profession, and feel _
encouraged enough to grow personally and professionally
_ 25) All
co-workers value _
learning and _ constructive change, vs. fearing, resisting,
avoiding, or
minimizing them.
_
26)
Co-workers share genuine interest in how their organization affects the
local _ community and _ ecological environments, and are _ proactive
in improving these, within reason.
_
27)
The organization and its leader/s, services, and employees are well
respected in local and professional communities.
_ 28)
Co-workers on all levels display most of these
high-nurturance behaviors relative to
their workplace, most of the time.
_ 29)
Co-workers
_ share a spirit of balanced service to themselves, each other, and
other living things; and _ appreciate those who serve them.
_
30)
Managers and supervisors _ receive adequate training and coaching on how to
be effective leaders, and _
they get enough constructive feedback on their abilities.
_
31) (add your own traits)
_ 32)