How many heroes does it take to change a culture?

Shinjiro Koizumi, Japan's environment minister and the son of ex-prime minister Junichiro Koizumi just announced plans to take parental leave once his child is born and the announcement made a splash in the media. Even though in Japan every man is entitled to take a full year of paternity leave or at least split the year with his partner, while still getting 80% of their salaries, only 6% of men take the opportunity.

A year of parental leave is the norm in most European countries, however, in the US, new mothers can only dream of 12 months of paid leave - let alone that both parents should share the duty. In the US, if you are lucky enough to be employed by a company with more than 50 employees, women are allowed to take leave without pay for 12 weeks after the birth of a child. Pretty harsh, in my eyes. 

I remember it very well that at the time my first child was born, my wife and I were living in Washington, DC. Back then, I was working as an actor, so I was fortunate enough to be able to take care of my son during the day while my wife was working, and pass him off to her when I was heading out to the theatre in the evening. 

When I was hanging out with him on playgrounds during the day, people often asked me whether I was the Aupair. I always found this amusing. Sweden, on the other hand, introduced the shared parental leave already in 1974. Fathers have to take some of the time off in order to maximize the benefit to the couple, and they generally take between 3 to 9 months. Fathers who are hanging out during the day on playgrounds or cafes even have a specific name. They are called "latte- daddies. " 

If I would have told the ladies who asked me whether I was the Aupair, that I was a "latte-daddy", I think they might have called the police. 

Last year when Shinjiro Koizumi first announced he would take some time off, he got a lot of push back, he had to face lots of criticism, and people questioned his dedication to the job. 

What I always find interesting to see is what triggers change. Change in human behavior which can lead to a shift in culture. 

Our cultural norms always deal with the collective feeling of what we consider good or bad, right or wrong, beautiful or ugly. And based on the cultural values, the norms are expressed in symbols, heroes, and rituals. While cultural values rarely change, how they manifest in the world does change more easily. 

Considering the stagnant economy in Japan over the last years, high rates for burnout and suicides, combined with low birthrates, leads to a population that is shrinking. And considering that Japan's population is getting older, you will find fewer people at a working age. 

I am asking myself, what are the forces that are coming together in this case? Does Shinjiro Koizumi see himself as a role model who could bring change within society? Does he feel that the change could lead to higher birthrates or just a more satisfying lifestyle? 

Very often, it takes heroes to bring change, to create an opening in society that allows for the questioning of old beliefs, roles, and rituals. And it certainly needs followers, who get inspired to follow suit. 

What are the symbols, roles, and rituals in your life that shape your behavior? 

What determines the level of commitment within your team and the culture of your company? 

What do you believe will not be working anymore in the years to come? 

And what kind of opening can you create to question the dysfunctional beliefs, roles, and rituals? 

Please shoot me a message; I am curious to hear your thoughts!

www.michaelsiller.com

#culture, #leadership, #commitment, #change, #organisationalculture?