Building a Tradition
Admiral Sir Andrew Browne Cunningham, speaking of the Traditions of the British Royal Navy, famously said, “It takes three weeks to plan a battle. Three hours to fight one. Three years to build a battleship and three hundred years to build a tradition.”
All around us are the traditions by which we were raised, taught, empowered (or not) and implanted with the seeds of the parent culture. It comes to us through school — the history lessons, the folk songs in music class, the folk tales in the library. Public Media cooks the cultural stew — part conservative and careful, partly organic, partly native, part world and part new-age wild and crazy. Our individually tailored “channels” pipe new assumptions, beliefs, values, considerations and stories into our separate island homes on the shared continent. We’re one perhaps, but also a fragmented many…
How did you learn to put on pantyhose? Who taught you? Mom probably, perhaps big sister — Joe Namath? What about the Windsor Knot or the Half? Tying your shoes? How long did it take you to learn “Shaking Hands?” How many teachers? How about “Tossing the Bat” over who takes the field? How did that tradition arrive? What about the National Anthem? Chanukah? Communion? Christmas? Was there an athletic team club house? Touching the Bear? Touching the Oar? Maybe you’re a Mason, a Moose, an Elk, a Rotarian? Long meaningful Traditions.
Our premise? That the thing we loosely call “Culture,” is not a single thing, but a melange of religious, personal, regional, athletic, generational, ethnic, national and sometimes planetary group considerations — all rolled up into a set of “shared agreements” about how we conduct ourselves — at school, at events, at home, in bed and at work.
Here’s the real deal: We don’t do it so well at work. Well OK, we do sort of agree on hours, arrival times and minimum standards of dress and deportment. But where’s the company anthem? (Only in Japan?) What about the well-understood standard of conduct? (Only in the personnel manual?) What about the uniform? (You don’t see Jeter showing up late in a pair of baggie shorts!) What about signs of respect for the Boss? (Only in the symphony?)
We think that the other spheres of life have a lot to teach business people about how to view our work as a “game,” how to “play” by the rules — instead of subvert them, how to respect and look after the coach/conductor; how to look like (and act like) a team; how to practice, rehearse and prepare. In business, for the most part it’s culture by the lowest default. Much of business is conducted in remarkably similar patterns, with little interest in creating a lofty and unique standard of practice. Have we begun to view people as generic and interchangeable parts in generic business machines, turning out generic products? Can we do better? Could we realize a benefit in employee longevity, pride and commitment?
This, friends, is an opportunity! Who doesn’t dream about wearing the Pinstripes? Rowing at Henley? Receiving one’s first respectful bow as a Master? Earning a Super Bowl Ring? Who wouldn’t get excited about playing guitar in Bon Jovi? Part of being human is the ever present desire to be unique — to be “the One!” Traditions allow us to become part of something unique, to share the feeling of being special.
As business owners, founders, managers and leaders; we have the opportunity to give people a special feeling about working in this special place. And, it’s not that difficult! Jon actually made up the band. Somebody thought up those pinstripes. Steve dreamed up Apple. Walt dreamed up Epcot.
Imagine your culture as you’d like it to be; then start teaching the next generation what’s so special about it! It takes three hundred years — you’d better get started!
Applications:
1. Personal
It’s one thing to fall out of bed and drag yourself to the kitchen. Why not start the day by establishing the “Traditional Pando Exercise Routine?” Or maybe you walk home through the park and establish the traditional “Klock Walking Meditation…”
2. Family
Why not set the table perfectly for dinner in the newly designed “Zhou Family Pattern?” Establish the “Sadaka Standard of Intimacy” by lingering together on the couch for a slow conversation about food, art or upcoming vacations. Discover the power of a tradition and create the “Sloan Family Reading Hour,” or the “Burt Family After School River Dip!”
3. At Work
It might begin with Meetings: Pause for a five second moment of silence — then listen as the leader states the purpose of the meeting. Begin! Call it the “Fusion Meeting Standard” — or create a better tradition and hang your name on it.
It might be as simple as “Navy” Blue, a new logo, Pinstripes or a picture of the founder on the wall. All traditions began in someone’s imagination. Carrying them forward is what builds a tradition on the foundation of happenstance. If it’s explicit, shared, special and repeated — you’re on the way to creating a tradition! Time’s a-wasting! Get Started!
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