We All Live In A World Of Cultural Tension
Mark Rapier CMAS, ALC
Trusted Guide | Author | Lifelong Learner | Corporate Diplomat | Certified M&A Specialist | Certified Life Coach
Today’s second topic is a review of ‘The Only Woman in the Room’ by Marie Benedict
Word Count: About 1,300 words, with an approximate reading time of 5 to 7 minutes. ?Please share your thoughts in the comments.
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Two articles appeared in my feeds on the same day. ?While reading them, I saw a connection to corporate culture.? Fast Company published Why leaders shouldn’t focus on creating a corporate culture—and what they should build instead.? ?The author argues that companies should focus on building community rather than culture.? The second article was about Jenna Ortega and her struggles to understand her place in Latina culture.? These articles highlight the main failing of corporate initiatives to build culture.
Failure to Understand the Definition of Culture
The Cambridge Dictionary defines culture as “the way of life, especially the general customs and beliefs, of a particular group of people at a particular time” and “the attitudes, behavior, opinions, etc. of a particular group of people within society.”
Culture is not something that can be built.? Culture evolves.? Customs change as individuals and groups respond to outside events.? The pandemic forced us to work differently.? For many, remote work became part of our collective culture.? Many firms are adopting policies that require people to return to the office, resulting in conflicts.
Boeing’s corporate culture has changed over time, shifting the focus from safety to production speed. ?The 737-MAX and Starliner show how that change has negatively impacted the organization.
At Wells Fargo, leadership’s focus on account growth shifted corporate culture, leading people to fraudulently open and close accounts to meet performance objectives.
Neither Boeing nor Wells Fargo understood how their approaches to measuring performance would impact corporate culture and individual behavior.
Everyone Lives in Multiple Cultures
All of us live in many different communities, and each will have a unique culture.? Work is just one of those communities.? The cities where we live, the churches we attend, our schools, and social groups all have unique customs and behaviors.? Within those communities, people will have different opinions about what it means to be in the group.? This takes us back to Jenna Ortega.? She is a part of multiple communities – young women, actress/performance artist, and Latina.? Her struggle is deciding how she fits in her ethnic culture as a non-Spanish speaker.? I am sure some do not think she belongs because of this.
The Culture Map: Breaking Through the Invisible Boundaries of Global Business by Erin Meyer explores the cultural dynamics facing global companies.? Meyer’s research helps us understand the differences between cultures and the underlying tension between them.? The same logic applies to cultural differences within countries.?
Living with these tensions takes a toll because everyone constantly feels pressure to conform to group norms.? When the groups we are in have very different norms, we feel the need to behave differently.
Related Articles
Book Review: The Only Woman in the Room by Marie Benedict
The Only Woman in the Room is based on the life of actress Hedy Lamarr.? Born in Austria, she left her acting career after marrying an Austrian arms merchant.? As the situation with her abusive husband and Germany’s persecution of Jews became intolerable, she disguised herself as her maid and fled to America.
Lamarr’s acting experience enabled her to meet Louis B. Meyer, who signed her to a movie contract.? On more than one occasion, Lamarr was able to out-negotiate Meyer.?
What is often overlooked is Lamarr’s scientific talent.? She was a self-trained scientist.? In 1942, she received a patent for synchronizing radio signals for torpedo guidance. ??When pressed on why her idea was rejected, The US Navy said they passed on the idea because “…it would be hard for us to sell our soldiers and sailors on a weapons system created by a woman. ?And we’re not going to try.”
They suggested that Lamarr focus on selling war bonds because she was a celebrity.? Rather than working with Lamarr, the culture of the time dismissed her ability to contribute.? The patent was classified as Top Secret.? Lamarr’s frequency-hopping idea is foundational to spread-spectrum technology, a critical element of today’s cell phone technology.
What I’m Up To
In my last newsletter, I mentioned preparing for our neighborhood golf outing. ?I am gratified to report that we raised over $2,000 for our charities, FSHD and The Walk for Alzheimer’s.
We watched an interesting documentary about Steve Martin, simply titled Steve, and The Perfect Couple, an excellent murder mystery.
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Chips and Salsa: Snack-sized news and posts
I worked for several firms that expected weekly commitments of 70 hours or more during my career.? This creates both long-term health risks and negatively impacts life at home.
All of us fall prey to the shiny new toy syndrome from time to time.? There are ways to avoid the trap.? I will spend time researching.? After a while, the ideal stops being new.? If it still makes sense, then move ahead.
The suggestions for improving your resume are valid. ?Still, this article overlooks a Captain Obvious reality – most candidates are not hired because companies interview multiple people for every position before selecting one.
Here is an interesting discussion about how and why the European maps have changed.
My parents were married in Bartlesville, OK.? I remember seeing this building when I was growing up.? I never realized Frank Lloyd Wright had designed this building or that it was the only skyscraper he had designed.
While there is always room for improvement, our economy is in much better shape than most others.
Grocery prices are a major issue. ?This campaign season, many proposals are being floated. ?Some are better than others, but most, if not all, are too simplistic.
The Siani Penisula used to be hospitable to plant and animal life.? Now it is desert.? One plan suggests a way to bring it back.
Music in Austin in the 1970s was awesome!
There is always risk.? When we choose to do something, we take risks.? When we decide not to do something, we accept different risks.
I believe that when there is an argument, everyone loses. ?Don’t argue—debate. ?Before you debate, think about the likely outcomes. ?If your best-case scenario outcome is of limited value, the debate is not worth the effort or the risk that comes with losing.
Science Rules!
NASA’s Voyager 1 probe swaps thrusters in tricky fix as it flies through interstellar space | Space.com
Quotes
“The incompetent with nothing to do can still make a mess of it.”
- Laurence J. Peter
“PowerPoint presentations too often resemble a school play — very loud, very slow, and very simple.”
- Edward Tufte
“A wise man can play the part of a clown, but a clown can’t play the part of a wise man.”
- Malcolm X
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You can order The Leader With A Thousand Faces on the Recommended Reading Page of my website.
My goal is to make this newsletter as interesting and valuable as possible. ?Please share your thoughts and suggestions for improvement. ?If there are specific topics in leadership you would like me to focus on in future issues, please send them my way.