Are you living above the line? If not, you need to get there, as it’s the easiest way to transform workplace culture and team performance. Here’s how, by using the OARBED behaviour model:
The acronym starts with OAR - when behaving above the line, one takes:
- Ownership
- Accountability
- Responsibility
Below the line, BED, is defined as:
- Blame
- Excuse
- Deny
No matter what, reacting in these ways is below the line.
Consider the likely reaction of a naughty child caught in the act. If a five-year-old child is caught pulling their sibling's hair, they may resort to BED behaviour:
Blame: 'They made me do it.' Excuse: 'They pushed me first.' Deny: 'I didn’t touch them.'
Adults don’t typically pull hair, but BED behaviour could look like this in your office: Someone misses a deadline and they blame an internet dropout, make an excuse about not having the necessary information, or deny the project was their responsibility in the first place. This behaviour alienates people, and negatively impacts team performance and morale.
On the other hand, paddling with our OAR means we take ownership, accountability and responsibility. When we live above the line a resolution is found faster, individuals feel more supported and we’re more likely to learn from our mistakes.
OARBED has no hierarchy. Would your team be comfortable calling you, or anyone else, out on below the line behaviour?
Remember, thinking below and acting below are not the same. It’s human nature to dip below the line in our minds, but it’s how we act that matters. Staying in BED is easy, but paddling with your OAR is much more effective and in time, the whole team will be paddling in sync.
"The best apology is changed behaviour." - Anon
"Great overview, very interesting to see it all broken down." "I will implement the knowledge and share it with my non-profit committees. I look forward to attending the next workshop"
