The power of symbols and how they build positivity

We are symbols, and inhabit symbols. - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Last week, we lost the “voice of cricket” in Richie Benaud. He had come to symbolise the art of commentary. He symbolised neutrality, serenity, brevity and crispness in the mellow voice. There was an article by Ian Chappel, where he talks of how Richie Benaud sent him a bat, soon after their first meeting. 

Sifting tracks to Mondays. Chances are this is what exactly happened, give or take a few. Take a pencil and see how many I got right for you.  

You woke up late – no time for exercise – berate yourself at being so poor on self control and will power - check emails – the red whatsapp blinker enticed you - a message from your boss reminding you of the day's target - running late - take care of the family – running really late - get ready – clothes not ironed – clothes do not seem to match - gather your things – rush down – hail an auto - argue with the auto driver – jump into a train – get your toes crushed and clothes sweaty – sudden reminder that you are behind on your targets - get stuck in traffic – run to the office – even the elevator is conspiring against you – check your watch - reach a wee bit late (despite all attempts) – curse your luck - the boss has already arrived – your life flashes in front of you - see him scowling at you – consider quitting your job – switch on your computer – remember to update your CV – you have had enough. Monday has started. 

First, be assured you are not alone. It is called the negativity bias. People tend to focus on the negativity that surrounds them. In the last 18 columns, I have spoken about many interventions that you could use.

This is where symbols play their magic. If there is a positive energy in the workplace, you seem to forget the negativity of the outside world.  

In this column, I am going to talk to you about one of the most powerful antidotes to this negativity; it is the Power of Symbols. 

Half an hour’s meditation each day is essential, except when you are busy. Then a full hour is needed. – St Francis de Sales

Consider a snippet of a speech given long time ago, way back in 1947.

Jawaharlal Nehru

Long years ago we made a tryst with destiny, and now the time comes when we shall redeem our pledge, not wholly or in full measure, but very substantially.

At the stroke of the midnight hour, when the world sleeps, India will awake to life and freedom. A moment comes, which comes but rarely in history, when we step out from the old to the new, when an age ends, and when the soul of a nation, long suppressed, finds utterance.

It is fitting that at this solemn moment we take the pledge of dedication to the service of India and her people and to the still larger cause of humanity.

At the dawn of history India started on her unending quest, and trackless centuries which are filled with her striving and the grandeur of her success and her failures. Through good and ill fortunes alike she has never lost sight of that quest or forgotten the ideals, which gave her strength. We end today a period of ill fortunes and India discovers herself again.

The achievement we celebrate today is but a step, an opening of opportunity, to the greater triumphs and achievements that await us. Are we brave enough and wise enough to grasp this opportunity and accept the challenge of the future?

Words as powerful symbols: 'Tryst with destiny', is perhaps one of the most evocative of speeches in modern times. Symbols are powerful forms of motivation for individuals, teams and organisations, alike. Nehru evoked symbols of “dawn”, “waking up”, “soul of a nation finding utternance”, “pledge of service”, “grandeur of success and failures”, “discovering oneself” and “opportunity”. Leaders who can evoke symbols for their people, find people raising their own aspirations. 

Symbols relating to a larger purpose: We live our symbols in our everyday life. Psychologists Ryan W Quinn and Monica C. Worline who wrote a seminal paper called Enabling Courageous Collective Action: Conversations from United Airlines Flight 93, wrote, “To take courageous collective action, people need three narratives — a personal narrative that helps them understand who they are beyond the immediate situation and manage the intense emotions that accompany duress, a narrative that explains the duress that has been imposed upon them sufficiently to make moral and practical judgments about how to act and a narrative of collective action — and the resources that make the creation of these narratives feasible”. They talk about how the passengers, who faced certain death, took account of their fear, frustration and perhaps anger to develop a meaning for themselves. How together, a bunch of strangers, were galvanized into action, to put up a last successful battle against the hijackers of United Flight 93. 

Symbols like these are symbols of positivity.  

History shows that all protest movements rely on symbols - boycotts, strikes, sit-ins, flags, songs. Symbolic action on whatever scale - from the Montgomery Bus Boycott to wearing a simple wristband - is designed to disrupt our everyday complacency and force people to think. - Hugh Evans

Rituals as symbols: Some people thrive on getting up in the morning with a prayer. Some people get a spring in their step on telling their most loved ones, the most universally understood words, I love you. Some people love the universal symbol of love and caring, a hug and a kiss. Some people need the assurance of the holy crucifix or a locket of their divine beliefs in their close proximity. Some people find the assurance in the chanting of a prayer. The two minutes of silence, is another symbol of respect. 

Music as symbols of inspiration: For some, a symbol of a paintbrush and canvas is something that gives them the biggest dose of positivity. Some get inspired with the soothing sounds of Van Halen, Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, The Who, AC-DC and Queen. For some it is the deafeningly crashing crescendo of Tchaikovsky’s Ninth Symphony. 

Each generation wants new symbols, new people, new names. They want to divorce themselves from their predecessors. - Jim Morrison

How can we use symbols? 

In the midst of a busy day, take five minutes out to look around and find the symbols in your office. It could be a poster which is trying to tell you something, but you have been ignoring. It could be a set of photographs of a loved one. A memory of an offsite or a picnic, indicating fun times that you had with your colleagues. It could be a little trophy you won, but have now kept away, because it no longer holds any value to you. 

What are the symbols on your soft-board which bring a smile to your face? Try this little trick. Freshen them up. Change the pattern, reorganise them, maybe discard a few, maybe pull out a few new ones. 

When you reach home today, look through your surroundings. What are the symbols in your house that make you smile?

Now try something really different. 

Go across to a person in your office, find out what symbols that person has displayed and what it says about the person. Maybe ask what that symbol means. If there is a trophy, ask the person about the trophy. 

Now try something which will make you really uncomfortable. Find a reason and go across to a person with whom you keep having an argument or a quarrel. Before you start the real conversation, take a genuine interest in the symbols that the person has put on his/her soft-board or cubicle. Make sure you are not faking the interest. For just three minutes, take a genuine interest in the symbols. 

If you ever want to get a glimpse of a person, listen to her for a few minutes and observe her surroundings. Observe the symbols on her desk. You will see a pattern emerge. You just might see more empathy and relatedness. It takes a bit of effort. 

Jewelry and pins have been worn throughout history as symbols of power, sending messages. Interestingly enough, it was mostly men who wore the jewelry in various times, and obviously crowns were part of signals that were being sent throughout history by people of rank. - Madeleine Albright

Physical icons as symbols: Symbols are played out best in sport. There is an interesting tradition in sport. If you see the uniforms of teams, you will notice a little star below the emblem of their club or country team. The number of stars, indicate how many times the team has won the trophy. Therefore the Spanish soccer team has one star and the Indian cricket team has two stars indicating the two World cup victories. KKR has two stars just above the flame on the knight’s head. Similarly the medals and ribbons on a soldier’s chest is a measure of their valor. 

Reassurance as symbols and symbols of reassurance: Symbols need not be about ribbons and jewelry. If you have a habit of wishing people a genuine good morning and a good night, that is a symbol that you care for the person, and not just a set of words that you say out. 

Last week, I met an old friend for coffee. I had last met him, maybe 25 years ago and since then we had lost touch with each other. Thanks to Facebook, we managed to reconnect. We were chatting about our lives when he mentioned that his wife was his biggest source of strength. I asked him how many times a day he told her that. The obvious answer was, as masculinity would suggest, never. As circumstances conspire, his phone rang then, and it was his wife calling him. He was surprised by the coincidence. For me, since the coffee shop was in SRK’s office building, I was reminded of his dialogue that the universe conspires in your favor. My friend decided to seize the opportunity and tell his wife that she was the source of his strength. I will pay an arm and a leg and my last piece of dark chocolate to know how she felt hearing that. I hope it went down well. 

Words are the most potent form of symbols. A simple good night ritual has meaning. 
 
Throughout human history, people have developed strong loyalties to traditions, rituals and symbols. In the most effective organizations, they are not only respected but celebrated. It is no coincidence that the most highly admired corporations are also among the most profitable. - Rosabeth Moss Kanter

Organisations and Symbols: Now you might wonder what does symbols have to do with large corporate organisations. 

1) Organisational culture and symbols: Thomas Dandridge, Ian Mitroff and William F. Joyce in their paper, Organizational Symbolism: A Topic To Expand Organizational Analysis, have researched the symbols in an organisation. They found that symbols span across the stories and legends the organisation; the ceremonies and rituals; and the language and phrases that employees use while interacting with each other. 

Symbols carry a special meaning for people, which drives them and helps connect to the organisational journey. In the era of cost rationalisation, the first victim is usually, the traditions that defined an organisation. In a time of crisis, little events are symbols of organisational hope and energy, and more importantly organisational goals and directions.

When I worked in FedEx, cost freezes were common, but the guidelines were explicitly people-centric. Training investments would continue and spends on Bravo Zulu, an employee recognition program, which rewarded people, who “went beyond the call of duty”, would never be cut. It demonstrated that FedEx was very serious about people. Needless to say, FedEx was Number One in the Great Place To Work Survey. I am talking about the 90s in the last millennium; long before people speak was fashionable. 

Some organisational thought leaders have proposed to rework the job description into perhaps, job meaning or job calling to connect with the hearts of the employees. Most job description statements I have seen are perhaps the most boring pieces of documentation you would ever read. 

2) New comers and symbols: Ibarra Barbulescu, studied the impact of the presence of symbols on new comers to an organisation. They found that when clear symbols are absent, employees tend to shape their own opinions. It would obviously get worse, if the new comers were to be influenced by unconstructively disruptive elements in the organisation. Thus highlighting the depth of thought that needs to put in while developing employee induction materials. Is it inspirational enough? Is it delivered with zest and authenticity? Does it excite new comers and reinforce the organisational values? It was intuitive, but now there is a science; which backs the claim. 

When I consult with corporates, I always suggest that senior leaders get involved in the actual delivery of induction programs. People want to see and hear from the leaders who are the “makers and drivers” of the organisation. It is an investment in a corporate legend that will drive organisational sustainability. 

Some of the words and symbols and images from childhood will continually be part and parcel of my personality. Dennis Potter

3) Organisation colors as symbols: Studies show that the color of the furniture, the lighting and décor, hygiene standards are symbolic and connote perceptual images for people to interpret their connection with the organisation. It makes you wonder, when you see the cramped call centers, what would happen if we moved them from factory like settings to something more colourful, a workplace which inspires people to go beyond their capability. If an office resembles an factory floor, well, you will get standardised responses. Do not expect people to be innovative, when everything around them points to the contrary. Simple stuff like outdated notice boards, incomplete sales displays are a symbol of a leadership “not keeping up with the changing forces of time”. 

Over a period of time, the corporate colours, become an indelible part of your subconscious identity. You see more of your corporate colors, wherever you go. In any American movie, I can still spot a FedEx truck, in the background, and get upset when a UPS man makes a delivery in Frasier, instead of Elaine who impersonates a FedEx courier in Seinfeld. When I see a dish antenna, my mind is automatically deciphering which company installed the dish. My wife will only use products made by Colgate. Symbols become part of your long-term identity, they make you feel comfortable. 

4) Internalising organisational symbols: One of the best papers written on the subject of organisation symbols, was written by Jane Dutton, Janet Dukerich and Celia Harquail, titled Organisational Images and Member Identification. They propose that images of organisation shape how employees define themselves. When employees can define themselves closer to the organisation, they are more psychologically present. 

What they are suggesting is that you need not change a person’s boss or their salaries and reward systems. What it means is that employees who can change their thinking about the images, change how they themselves evaluate how good the organisation they work for is, and therefore determine how they will contribute to the organisational meaning and purpose, which as we know, are prime drivers of positivity. 

Finally, symbols take effort and are worth it. 

Consider this. As a family unit, what are your symbols of familial bonds? A Sunday lunch or an annual vacation are symbols of family units. Wishing each other on birthdays and festivals are symbols of relationships. Gifting is also a symbol of the amount of thought you put in, right from selecting the gift, the way you pack it and how you present it. 

Many years back, I got a call from a couple, who run a large advertising agency. They told me that they had decided that every month, they would trace down a couple of friends that they had lost touch with, just to find out how they were doing. After starting 'The Positivity Company', I now have coffee every month, with one person whom I have not met in a long time. It takes some juggling, but the after effect for me is worth it. 

Of course, whatsapp has made things so much easier now. There are groups with two of my earlier places of work; school and college mates; and many workshop related groups. It takes effort to be active. It might just be a silly joke, but it is an effort. 

If you are a leader in an organisation, think about the symbols that you use to inspire your people to action. When people come in to work by the Monday fast train, what are the symbols that greet your employees that make them leave their worries and negativity at the security guard, and bring their best possible selves to work? A scowl or sarcasm are not going to get the projects and targets back on track. 

The symbols of positivity that you show have a better chance of success. Symbols in various forms, are potent doses of positivity. 

Symbols are the imaginative signposts of life. - Margot Asquith

The author is the Founder of The Positivity Company. This is part of a series called 'Positive Mondays' which describes how positive thoughts can have a multiplicative effect, simultaneously impacting all work and life outcomes.