Yesterday was Day 26 of my 100 days of learning - a hectic day which ended at a happy note with my colleagues and friends.
Many years ago I went to a workshop on Collaborative Planning and the workshop leader talked about how effective collaborative planning is and what all we need to do at work to promote, instil and sustain a culture of collaboration at school. I was a young leader - starry-eyed and willing to implement all strategies immediately - and learnt the hard way that a team willingness when different to a team leader's willingness, makes any change impossible. Over the years, I have slowed down (some of my work friends might disagree!) and have hopefully become better at implementing change. The work culture needs to be developed and readied for change implementation.
I continue to reflect on developing the work culture and yesterday, I couldn't help remembering the workshop, the philosophy, the events of the day and connecting it to my favourite researcher - Hofstede.
So it has become a tradition in my workplace to have a staff party at the end of the first or the second week once all the initial year settling down, parent evening and start of year professional development workshops are over. We go in a large group to a particular pub and the newbies to the staff are initiated! It has so happened that in the past five years, we have gone to the same pub and it has gradually turned into an annual tradition. The drinks facilitate the conversations, the bonding, the tears (with the hectic settling down first few weeks there are some), the fun, and an evening of looking at each other as human beings with life!
A few of us have been a part of this tradition since the last few years. As I write, I can't help reflecting back on how this annual tradition provides me a rich data of what the year might be like. Reflecting right back, the tradition started with a lovely group of staff - a close and cohesive group of some young expatriate staff members; next year some more joined in; the following year a note was put out in the staffroom... As the years went by, other nationalities and department groups joined in. Two years ago a bubbly colleague decided to hire a mini-van for the occasion each year. It doesn't allow enough seating so groups also go in cabs in masses. It is now an annual tradition of the workplace.
This time spent together in the pub is a valuable 'culture building' occasion. People chat, share personal stories, giggle, laugh, cry, bond and view each other in a different light. We learn about each other, see commonalities, see differences, share the world views and solve all world problems in one go - as drinking buddies often do! We all get spirited (which doesn't necessarily mean drunk!) and after a while the perceived boundaries of being a newbie, being from a different culture or nationality, or language, or department, or age, or even heirarchy ......dissolve! (Alcohol generally is a good solvent!) More importantly, when everyone gets spirited together, it is difficult to remain judgmental, at least for that one occasion, which in turn helps get closer to team building. There are stories to share from the occasion at a later point and times to reminisce about the fun-time together.
Traditions at workplaces help build cultures. The symbolism, the rituals of something as simple as going to a particular place after a particular event for all staff becomes an outer core to help strengthen the values and the practices of a workplace. Hofstede's Onion model comes to my mind yet again.
I enjoy being a part of this particularly because as one ascends professional ladders, one somehow tends to descend the social ones.... not because one wants to but because of lack of time or being locked away in office or simply because of being absent when the plans are being made. I often depend on the mercy of my kind colleagues and friends who remember me and invite me to come along for the outside work events! :)
As I write this, I realise that yesterday was wonderful. The diverse group in this annual tradition was much bigger and richer than ever before. Stories were shared, tears were shared, fun was made, fun was had, the connections were strengthened and we all learnt something about each other.
I learned how workplace rituals and traditions reflect and can strengthen work cultures. An important lesson indeed!
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