“This is like déjà vu all over again.”
– Yogi Berra
In the classic British science fiction series Doctor Who, there is a scene in which the Doctor is trapped in a time loop: the same events keep taking place over and over with no end in sight. Naturally, this being fiction, the Doctor quickly recognizes what’s going on and figures out a way to break out of the loop. In real life, it’s not quite so easy. Granted, actual time loops tend to be pretty rare; not so the feeling of being stuck in one.
Read the rest in the CEO Refresher
Why do we take off our hats when entering a building? There’s no reason for it; it’s something we do. It’s part of our culture. While it probably had meaning at some point in time, that meaning is now lost. But we do it anyway because culture is bigger than we are. In fact, culture is not only bigger than we are, it’s bigger than almost anything we can imagine. Culture is not just what we wear, what we eat, or what religion we believe in. Culture is a vast ocean that informs and directs our thoughts, perspectives, and views on how to approach the world and other people in it. According to MIT’s Ed Schein, culture is everywhere; it is such a pervasive part of our lives that we are not even aware of it. This gives rise to several questions: What is the value of culture? How is culture transmitted? And, of course, what is culture?
Why do we take off our hats when entering a building? There’s no reason for it; it’s something we do. It’s part of our culture. While it probably had meaning at some point in time, that meaning is now lost. But we do it anyway because culture is bigger than we are. In fact, culture is not only bigger than we are, it’s bigger than almost anything we can imagine. Culture is not just what we wear, what we eat, or what religion we believe in. Culture is a vast ocean that informs and directs our thoughts, perspectives, and views on how to approach the world and other people in it. According to MIT’s Ed Schein, culture is everywhere; it is such a pervasive part of our lives that we are not even aware of it. This gives rise to several questions: What is the value of culture? How is culture transmitted? And, of course, what is culture?
This article was originally published in the January/February 2010 Analog Science Fiction/Fact. You can read the rest by
clicking here.
December 21st,2009
Published Articles | tags:
assumptions,
belief,
culture,
organizational behavior,
organizational development,
success,
tradition,
values |
Comments Off on Take Off Your Hat: You’re In The Presence of Culture
Where you start is what you get. I regularly hear managers say:
-
“An unexpected problem arose and the team didn’t step up.”
-
“I can’t figure out how to motivate them.”
-
“No one goes above and beyond.”
-
“They are just so passive!”
Alternately:
Businesses like to describe their culture in positive terms, as “can do” or “fun-loving, but hard working,” or “highly motivated, team-driven atmosphere,” and so forth. Unfortunately, as the comments above illustrate, this is often wishful thinking. Culture is a complex construct and actions taken early in the company’s history can have far reaching effects. And while everyone knows that who a company hires can make a big difference, what is less obvious is that how a company hires can be even more critical.
Read the rest at the Indus Business Journal
June 1st,2009
Published Articles | tags:
business planning,
culture,
failure,
goal setting,
hiring,
leadership,
management,
organizational development,
performance,
problem solving,
recruiting,
success,
team building |
Comments Off on How You Hire Just As Key As Who You Hire
