Build “Totalocity” With Others & Feedback Is Easy

Yesterday afternoon I heard a radio interview with a co-founder of Wolf Parade, a Canadian indie rock band. After hearing a clip of the band’s full-out, high energy sound, I could see why the co-founder was sharing some special terms the players use when they rehearse. Words like “totalocity,” “full circus”and “half circus” help them stoke up one another’s energy.

While in business, we usually try to avoid circuses, I was captivated by the notion of totalocity. In my imagination, totalocity is an attitude of 100% commitment to giving everything you’ve got to the shared endeavor.

To rev up your totalocity with a team member, ask yourself “Why is the goal I share with this person so important?” Are you producing something urgently needed by a customer? Are you innovating a new, great way to do things? How will meeting the goal and doing a great job help other co-workers and the company succeed? How excited are you about what you guys are doing together? And especially, how will success on this goal be super-beneficial to your co-worker?

What I’ve discovered as I explore the causes of feedback failure is that the recipient of the feedback doesn’t usually feel much commitment from the feedback giver. For example: “This project is late and I need it in right away,” or “The documents you are sending people need to be better organized” are lame feedback offerings. They feel cold and negative.

With totalocity, you demonstrate, your enthusiasm and commitment: “Hey, Terry, let’s take a look at the docs you sent.  Your role in this is really important to help everyone in the company make the transition in the easiest way possible.  Some of our slow adopters may get be confused right off the bat if the information isn’t super organized. What would be the best way to organize them?

With totalocity, you get the person excited about what they are doing and they become personally motivated to improve how they are doing the job.

Today is a great day for totalocity….