“Max Weber was right.  If we learn anything from the history of economic development, it is that culture makes almost all the difference.”  ~  David Lander, in the book Culture Matters

“Social capital is not, as sometimes portrayed, a rare cultural treasure passed down from one generation to the next, which, if lost, can never be regained.   Rather, it is created spontaneously all the time by people going about their daily lives.  It was created in traditional societies, and it is generated on a daily basis by individuals and firms in a modern capitalist society.   Author Francis Fukuyama from his chapter entitled, Social Capital in the book Culture Matters, edited by Lawrence Harrison and Samuel Huntington

Perhaps there is no such thing as counterfeit currency in the cultural context. A culture doesn’t have the ability in and of itself to be bad or good, to be uplifting or toxic. A culture just is what it is.  It is simply a reflection of the attitudes, beliefs and behaviors of those whose daily decisions and activities influence it.

Sadly, then, the undeniable truth is that a sick or unhealthy culture is almost always a reflection an unhealthy group people, with unhealthy thinking, unhealthy language and unbecoming behaviors.

That would sound harsh except for the hope that comes from knowing that there is a cure. There is proven path to a more positive workplace and a more powerful and
healthy culture. If your culture is in really bad shape you may need to hire “cultural” nutritionists, make some major and drastic changes to your lifestyle, rethink
and reestablish what matters most and get some coaching to help you keep focused until you are confidently established in a new pattern of behavior with
traditions and rituals that keep you on the grow.

But for any person or any group of people that are resolved towards what they really want, and who are willing to take their medicine there is hope.  Yes you will need to spend time in the gym building team muscles and strengthening your culture core with some principled centered Pilates but you can do it.  And if you do youy will soon be creating some cultural currency that has some real value in the marketplace.

When culture is right… life is good.

Best wishes for your journey of making your culture count ~ Kirk Weisler

This entry was posted on Wednesday, February 20th, 2013 at 4:43 pm and is filed under T4D. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.