My friend Marc’s summer job back in the 1970’s was in the facilities department of a manufacturing plant. They made spark plugs. Marc’s job was to keep the floor clean.
It was his first week and he’d gone around the entire plant – sweeping, dusting, mopping, and picking up. The floor was clean. So, he sat down and pulled out a novel to read. (He was an English major).
“What are you doing?” a co-worker asked.
“Reading.” Marc answered innocently.
“You can’t do that. You need to keep the floor clean.”
“It is clean. I just finished cleaning it two minutes ago.”
“Well, if it’s clean, then look busy.”
It was an initiation moment.
Marc had spent the previous nine months at college. Reading (well, and partying, too). But, now he was in a new organization with a new culture. The culture of look busy. So, his co-worker was initiating him.
That’s how culture gets transmitted.
Through these moments of initiation. When someone takes you aside and explains to you how it is around here. They’re giving you the cultural scoop. The insiders view on reality. They’re reining you in. And helping you fit in.
Most of these conversations are pretty casual.
They happen in the hallway, after the meeting. Or over coffee. We don’t require an official training program to be culturally initiated. We’re tribal creatures, after all, and don’t relish being kicked out of the tribe. We’re wired to pay attention to the cultural signals so we can do what it takes to belong.
This is especially true when we’re new to a tribe – or a team.
The smallest comments carry great weight. It’s those short, potent comments like “Look Busy” that can shape behavior for years afterwards.
Questions for Reflection & Action
• How were you initiated into the culture of your organization?
• How do you initiate people into the cultural of your team?
• What’s a simple phrase (“Look busy”) that describes the culture you have?
• What’s one for the culture you want?
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2 responses so far ↓
1 John Langlois // Oct 8, 2009 at 12:05 pm
My initiation into current culture: “It’s your job to make sure no inconsistencies hit my desk.”
In this culture, execs may sit on the side line (i.e. in meetings) reviewing powerpoint slides ALL DAY LONG looking for inconsistencies. Syntax, grammer and trivial inconsistencies all count in this game.
The culture I want to have: “It’s your job to satisfy customers.” In this culture, the focus is outward; there’s more effort put on understanding and helping the client solve their problems and less effort in synthesizing and reconciling our own internal communications.
2 Eric // Oct 8, 2009 at 4:01 pm
Thank you, John.
As you suggest – culture determines what matters and where attention goes. To grammar or to serving clients.
Thanks for your insights.
Eric
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