Conscience of the Culture

The culture of our communities is, for better or for worst, the predominant pattern of our collective behaviors, speech, choices and actions. Our families, our schools, our neighborhoods, our towns, our teams, our troops, our places of worship, our places of work – all of these are the communities that make up our world. Each one of us, through our daily behaviors, speech, choices and actions contributes to the character of these communities. We shape the world in which we live and work, for ourselves, for our families, for our friends, for our colleagues, for our co-workers and for our fellow citizens. Our inquiry, during the course of this seminar, is to ask, what is the character of the culture that we aspire to create and live in as a community?

Whatever the answer to this question, and whatever the size or scope of your community, you have an opportunity to be more deliberate and intentional. You have an opportunity to choose how to behave and speak and act, individually and collectively, with renewed commitment, to craft a purposeful culture.

Craft Culture

Crafting purposeful culture is an act of dedication and ownership – both individual and collective. Purposeful culture doesn’t happen because you will it to happen. It happens because you and many other people in your community turn your wills into behaviors and words and choices that honor and demonstrate the characteristics of the culture that you aspire to create. Everyone can be involved. Everyone can accept ownership and take responsibility. Now, whether everyone accepts that ownership, whether everyone takes responsibility by holding themselves and one another accountable – that is another issue. Accepting ownership for oneself is an act of citizenship; asking others to accept ownership and holding them accountable, regardless of your position or title, is an act of leadership. Not to do so, especially if you are entrusted or employed with the responsibilities of a leader, is an act of abdication.

This approach to crafting purposeful culture requires your full commitment. I offer a five-part framework to guide you along the way. It requires conversation and dialogue between and among the leaders and the members of your community. You will need to consider:

What are the characteristics of the culture that we aspire to?
What do these cultural characteristics really mean?
Why do you personally care about these characteristics?
How do or could you turn these characteristics into tangible behaviors and action?

Cascade Culture

Your candid and collective consideration of these questions will better prepare you to engage other members of your community in a conversation about the whats and whys of your culture. In turn, they will better understand the importance and implications of their taking ownership for their own behaviors and actions. Additionally, they will be better prepared, and indeed expected, to identify and take action on what needs to be promoted, what needs to be protected, and what needs to be put to an end.