Weblog: Jennie Douglas @ Wren Consulting

Is culture organic? February 3, 2011

I’ve been watching the demonstrations in Egypt daily, mostly through recorded BBC News coverage. It’s a cultural thing for me…I prefer to get my world news from the BBC, just like I did when I lived in Jordan in 1985-86. Watching these demonstrations, and the recent response from leadership, it’s clear that the President of Egypt figured he could just make one statement and everyone would go home. For the past 30 years, when he has spoken, the people didn’t speak back (mostly). Now, they are saying they are going to be different, and they want him to respond to their actions and requests directly.

This kind of organic change in a large culture is pretty impressive! How does it apply to organizations? When I work on large change initiatives in organizations, a culture change is often at the core of the project. Leadership might decide that they will use a product or IT system launch to move the values of a company in a certain way.  For example, initiatives related to SOX compliance may be used to encourage employees to view recordkeeping as an ethical value. This ethical value may be communicated through training and leadership messages. But will the culture really change? 

My experience is that leadership can try to determine a culture, but this will be felt by some (or many) as an imposition, an unnecessary change. Culture is more organic than that. And it’s my opinion that it is determined more by the majority of a group, as in Egypt, rather than a leader or two.

A passion for culture January 25, 2011

Lately, I’ve realized that I have a real passion for culture. I travel to experience new cultures. I look for the cultures in teams and organizations I work with.

But what is culture, and why is it so compelling to some of us?

Wikipedia’s page on culture (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture) points out early on that there are many definitions. My focus is on experiencing the integrated patterns of beliefs/behavior, and shared attitudes/values/goals/practices.

Let me give you an example of a cultural observation that I find really compelling:

In the past couple of years, I’ve visited Nepal and Siberia, and experienced a new cultural pattern for integrating religious beliefs. My experience before going to Siberia (2009) was that people choose one religion or church, or they remain ambivalent or decide against the religion. In Siberia, I worked with people who were able to integrate ideas and practices from the Russian Orthodox church, Tibetan Buddhism, and shamanism. They didn’t seem to feel the need to choose one over the other; they could apply ideas to a situation from any or all three. In Nepal, I learned that most people practice Hindu, Buddhism, and shamanism.

I found it so interesting that the Nepalese (and Siberians) didn’t seem to think they had to choose one religion. It’s a different construct, a shared view that it’s ok to be Hindi and Buddhist.

Behind the religions is a caste system in Nepal, along with many ethnic groups. Today, the young people are hoping that they can change this and focus only on ethnicity, removing the caste system. Locals told me this when we were sitting around the fireplace at night in the mountains. They are hoping to create a new culture.

Building my BCC course January 30, 2010

I’m working on building 6-week Rapid eLearning Development online workshop that I teach through Bellevue Community College, starting Feb 8: http://www.campusce.net/BC/Course/Course.aspx?c=11466

Today’s quote: Mudrooroo (1995) January 15, 2010

I saw this quote at the Australian Museum in Canberra in November. and it still haunts me today

It is a feeling of oneness
Our spirituality is a oneness and an interconnectedness with all that lives and breathes, even with all that does not live or breathe. It is not a matter of this religion or that religion, of traditional beliefs or non-traditional. It is a feeling of oneness, of belonging.

Deep in the details…. January 7, 2010

Deadlines! They get me focused on getting all the details finalized, wrapped up. Some people think our work as creators is solo work, but it’s definitely not. This is the point in the creative process where I’m talking with more people than ever. Definitely collaborative!

Updating my business plan… November 4, 2009

I’ve been in business 15 years as an independent consultant (or freelancer). Even though I don’t employ anyone, so you’d think I might not need a business plan, I find it helpful to update my business plan every few years. Usually it just seems like the right time to do some planning, almost like there’s a cycle to it. The last one I wrote was in 2006, and I’m guessing the next one will be in 2012, as it seems to be every 3 years.

I wonder, how often do other IC’s write up a business plan? Does it flex with your life goals and interests, or is it driven more by changes in the business environment?

And it’s Shocking! November 3, 2009

I’m in Australia, just watched “the race that stops a nation.” It truly does! It has as long as I can remember. When I was a little girl, we used to listen to the race on the radio our teacher brought to school. It’s the first Tuesday of November, every year, and the big race is over and reported on by 3:30 pm.

I’ve been in the country for a week and every day people are talking about who will win or who they want to win or which horse they’re betting on. Every one is into it. I love it! What a tradition!

We watch the horses cross the finish line, and the horse owners and trainers are jumping up and down as Shocking, their horse wins the Melbourne Cup. If only we could do that in our corporate offices when our teams accomplish good things. That would be truly shocking!

Quote from LUCCA October 7, 2009

Saw this quote today in the Lucca (Italy) Center for Contemporary Art, on the way to the kids room:

“All children are born artists, the difficulty is in remaining so when adult.” (Pablo Picasso)

Time to think September 30, 2009

I’m leaving Siberia today, and the timing is perfect. I have vacation time now, and will have to write a report of my findings here with the GBT. But, I need at least a couple of days to think and let things settle in my mind.  I wonder, how many people also need  a break to make sure that their impressions will remain the same, or to let things simmer in the background? For me, allowing for this time makes sense because I find that my work is always more thoughtful and better structured. It’s also easier to write reports and recommendations. Maybe that’s the biggest benefit: things flow better in my mind if I allow time in between.

Reluctant change September 29, 2009

Talking about changing an organization is a first step, but there are clues of whether the change will happen or stick. Is there reluctance? What does that sound like? “What a great idea, but it will take too much work [or time]” “I think that might work here, but….” It’s the “but” word that clues you in that change might be a nice idea, but there may not be a commitment to change. People running the organization might actually be quite happy with the status quo.