Everyone Needs a Home

For the past couple weeks I have been participating in the Air Force’s survival and resistance training course at Fairchild AFB in Spokane, WA, hence my lack of blog posts or communication as of late.  Driving home last Friday night I pulled onto my street and saw excited kids and families all shooting off fireworks together, a real Norman Rockwell scene.  And as I rounded the corner to our new house…I saw my wife and daughter.

It is hard to describe all the different emotions that ran through me as I pulled into our driveway.  A huge feeling of relief, joy, thankfulness and general relaxation washed over me like a wave.  It dawned on me as this was happening that EVERYONE NEEDS A HOME.

Now, I realize that not everyone is blessed to have grown up in a home environment or currently live in one that inspires the types of feelings I mentioned above.  To some the idea of home may actually be more akin to a nightmare than a place where you can hang your hat and fall into the love of your family.  Nevertheless, the need for a home is inside all of us.

Many have called this The Cheers Principle.  The lyrics to the show’s theme song reveal much about human nature and our desire for authentic community.

Sometimes you want to go
Where everybody knows your name,
And they’re always glad you came;
You want to be where you can see,
Our troubles are all the same;
You want to be where everybody knows your name.

Understanding this principle can have dramatic effects on the way we lead and see the world around us.  In short, organizations that can make their employees and customers feel at home achieve the greatest success.

Creating a place where someone feels at home requires:

1. Trust – an organization lacking the trust of its employees and/or customers is much like a machine without oil, it will continue to operate, but each movement requires more work than the one before…and in the end it will self-destruct.  Trust is the greatest of social lubricants, allowing us to focus on the outcome more than grinding through the process.
2. Joy – do people smile in your organization?  Do they laugh?  Is it FUN?  One of the quickest ways to judge whether or not your organization is inspiring joy is to observe how often you hear side-splitting laughter.  Joy is a healthy part of every family environment.
3. Consistency – one thing about family is you always know what to expect.  Sure there are surprises every now and then, but in the end it’s a lot like Thanksgiving.  Uncle Joe will make an awkward toast, Cousin Cindy will make the same candied yams she has for the past 15 years and someone will be in the corner recliner snoring before the dessert has even been passed out.  We love it because it’s uniquely ours and it’s consistent.
4. Love – simple, not easy.  Love is living for someone else’s good.  Without love there is no home.  Without love an organization is simply going through the motions and has no chance of inspiring passion, courage, or dedication.

Us twentysomethings love community and we recognize and appreciate the organizations that know how to create a home.  Think of your favorite restaurant, coffee shop, or retail store.  Chances are you feel at home in each of them.  Do the employees know your name?  Are they always glad you came?

Just look at Google, they’ve taken this idea of creating a home seriously.  Check out the Top 10 Reasons to Work at Google taken straight from their website and notice how many times you see the traits of a home I mentioned above:

1. Lend a helping hand. With millions of visitors every month, Google has become an essential part of everyday life – like a good friend – connecting people with the information they need to live great lives.
2. Life is beautiful. Being a part of something that matters and working on products in which you can believe is remarkably fulfilling.
3. Appreciation is the best motivation, so we’ve created a fun and inspiring workspace you’ll be glad to be a part of, including on-site doctor and dentist; massage and yoga; professional development opportunities; on-site day care; shoreline running trails; and plenty of snacks to get you through the day.
4. Work and play are not mutually exclusive. It is possible to code and pass the puck at the same time.
5. We love our employees, and we want them to know it. Google offers a variety of benefits, including a choice of medical programs, company-matched 401(k), stock options, maternity and paternity leave, and much more.
6. Innovation is our bloodline. Even the best technology can be improved. We see endless opportunity to create even more relevant, more useful, and faster products for our users. Google is the technology leader in organizing the world’s information.
7. Good company everywhere you look. Googlers range from former neurosurgeons, CEOs, and U.S. puzzle champions to alligator wrestlers and former-Marines. No matter what their backgrounds Googlers make for interesting cube mates.
8. Uniting the world, one user at a time. People in every country and every language use our products. As such we think, act, and work globally – just our little contribution to making the world a better place.
9. Boldly go where no one has gone before. There are hundreds of challenges yet to solve. Your creative ideas matter here and are worth exploring. You’ll have the opportunity to develop innovative new products that millions of people will find useful.
10. There is such a thing as a free lunch after all. In fact we have them every day: healthy, yummy, and made with love.

Whether you are a business, church, or government organization you can benefit from creating an environment that feels like home.  Humans are social creatures made to thrive in relationship with one another.  Home is THE BEST social environment if done well.  It is good to be home.

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