Name That Shared Value. How To Disconnect People From Your Culture.

 

In the winter, when snow and ice would block roads in some remote places of the country, the postmen would not bring the mail there. They couldn't get there by bike, car or truck. The truck drivers from the newspaper would take the mail with them. They would go to the most remote place, whatever the weather conditions. The newspaper would be delivered always and everywhere. No matter what.

I love this story. So much better than: "We have a culture dedicated to 100% guaranteed deliveries being resilient towards disturbances caused by external conditions."

But. When it comes to messing around with culture, some turn into a mix between Michael Jackson and Freddy Mercury.

"We are the best. We are the world. We are the children. We are the champions."

Ah. The verbal diarrhea fest called "Name That Shared Value".

Stories beat statements 100% of the times.

In an organization during the late seventies the unions blocked two exists between buildings disrupting production. The company created a tunnel (for real!) so it could never be blocked again.

Bam. Folklore!

Folklore is important. If people want to be part of a culture, if they are comfortable in it, if they want to be associated with it, if they are proud to be a member, it's because there is a connect between the culture and their identity.

I am not talking about changing a culture. I am referring to having a connect between you and your organization. Culture wise. Connecting to the cues, the visible elements of the culture, and reflecting on how your relationship is with them.

The story about the trucks in the winter delivering also mail, reflects balls, guts, men with beards driving through the blizzard the make sure you get the letter from your grandma. Do you connect to that?

You can actually ask people this. What do you make of this story?

You can also ask how people feel about "100% guaranteed deliveries being resilient towards disturbances caused by external conditions"?

Does that rock your boat? Do you get all warm and fuzzy thinking about "100% guaranteed"?

Luckily some people get the fact that you can't dictate a culture. Even yelling doesn't work. Dammit.

Culture is something that people connect with or disconnect with. Opt-in or opt-out.

They make their decisions based upon the cues that the culture provides. Habits. Rituals. Stories. And if the stories are boring, hard to remember and actually not stories, it will not stick and it will not spread.

Some even resolve to having words starting with the same letter. The 3 O's. Oblivious. Obstipation. Osmotic.

If you tell a story of three words and you have to make it easy for your employees to remember those three words … Incredible. Insane. Insulting.

So. Before you are going to define your culture, change it, mess with it and dance with it, let people connect with the stuff you have now.
 

Bas de Baar is a writer who draws about people in transition. He loves to make visual maps and travel guides for the collaborators of our brave new world.