“You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.” – Matthew 5:13 NKJV
Ann and I enjoy watching Chopped, a cooking show where the chefs have a limited amount of time to create a dish that incorporates several mystery ingredients in a limited amount of time. The judges give their feedback on each of this dishes and a common complaint is that the meat was not seasoned properly or that a little salt would have brought the dish together.
No dish tries to accentuate the salt. No one ever says I really like how the salt in this dish comes out. Salt is never the star. But as anyone who has ever eaten a dish that needed salt knows, when it’s lacking there is something missing from the dish. There may be some good flavors but they are dull and lack vibrancy without salt.
Just as good dishes need salt, so do organizations.
Every member of an organization or team brings their own unique flavor to the pot. All of us want our flavor to be noticed and appreciated as special, but it’s more important that we figure out how to make the entire organization work well together. Each of us can bring a good unique flavor, we should also be looking at how we can add salt to the organization. How can we help emphasize the flavor of those that we work around? How can we make them look good?
Even though being salty rarely gets noticed in any public way, it transforms the way organizations work. And while the recognition may not come directly from management for the salt we add, those peers who benefited from our behind the scenes coaching will be thankful for the seasoning we add.
When we have this focus it transforms the vibrancy of the organization. Not only is it more enjoyable for everyone else, it’s more enjoyable for us.
How are you being salty to those around you?
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