What Are You Teaching?

I need some space on my bookshelf so decided to move some books and conference proceedings to ‘storage’. While doing that I found this formal definition of Culture in a presentation given by Schein at the Society for Organisational Learning, Monterey, California, Nov 1997.

“Culture is a pattern of shared basic assumptions

Learned by the members of a group

In solving their external problems of survival in the environment and their internal problems of integration

That work well enough to be taught to new group members

As the correct way to perceive, think about, and feel about all aspects of their daily life

Once shared assumptions exist, they function to provide meaning to daily events, make life predictable, and, therefore, reduce anxiety.”

One of the things that jumps out of this definition when I read it is the third line, “that work well enough to be taught to new group members”. This isn’t formal classroom teaching or even elearning but teaching by observing and doing. Remember back to the last time you were the newbie in a company. You looked, listened and observed. You saw how people did things, what they did and equally importantly what they didn’t do. I remember joining one company and was amazed when at lunchtime the people around me started emailing each other to see if they were ready to go to lunch. They could easily have turned to each other and asked but no they emailed each other. I very quickly learned the lesson (or was taught the lesson) that being seen to be busy was more important than actually being busy in that department. Speaking to each other was seen as ‘a waste of time’; working at your computer screen was productive and hence desirable.

What are you teaching the people around you?

Oh by the way, if you haven't been to Monterey, California, treat yourself, it's a delightful place.




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