Bob Sutton's Blog has a post about new employees' potential to see culture for what it is. The post talks about how new comers see the organization in a different way than people who have been there a long time.I wonder if we can find a way to be in a culture, but not completely immersed (or lose the ability to see it for what it is) so we can keep the fresh eyes we need to ask questions and grow.
Reading this post reminded me of my first few weeks in my current role. I can remember feeling more socially awkward than usual and not understanding what social cues caused the little groups of people to disperse after talking around the coffee machine. It didn't seem to follow the ordinary social rules. The funny part is, these simple situations were sometimes difficult to express and question to others. It was such a part of the day-to-day that people had trouble noticing that it was different.
So if we eventually become part of organizational culture, how can we step out of our day-to-day to honestly assess the culture of our team or department? How can people who have experience with an organization catch glimpses of an organization with "fresh eyes"? How can we harness the questions of newcomers to assess culture?
Great topic! Culture in any organization seems to be an actively growing and transforming organism. As new people are added it may move in another direction or expand on the direction it's going. So while the newcomers could use help understanding the current culture, those already immersed should be looking at the newcomers as indication of where it may be going. One "jerk" (keeping it clean, contrary to Bob's preference) entering the mix may require the current "guard" to defend the culture they want to keep. One positively charged person can move the culture in a more positive direction. Together the new and the "old" seem to redefine the culture. Perhaps when that happens, it creates fresh eyes seeing the culture that presently is.
Posted by: Cheri Corrado | 29 April 2010 at 02:39 PM
to DO it is one thing, to partake in the new POV is a little different. For example, I just had 6 Georgia Tech students working for me, and they were encouraged to be candid about explaining their perception of our culture. They were not whacked on the head when the told us our shortcomings, so the new POV was continued. Near the end of the semester, one of the cultural enlightenments came through their professor. The students didn't tell us directly because they didn't see it as pertinent.
What did they notice? Everybody in the office is on a first name basis. Even the Senior Vice Presidents are called by their first name, and it is not disrespectful. I didn't realize that this simple of a gesture helps define the culture and made the students feel right at home when they could call our SVP of Manufacturing "Paul."
So: being open to others' observations is a round-about way to keep fresh eyes.
Posted by: David McGinnis | 07 May 2010 at 01:57 PM
reminds of me Woodlief's line: "Be in but not of your organization."
Posted by: staffaction | 03 July 2010 at 09:37 AM