People and culture…

… two words that naturally go together.  And these past couple of weeks I have experienced a wide variety of each.  I went on a research swing through Beijing, Shanghai, Seoul, Tokyo and Hong Kong,… and was amazed at the differences from city to city.  Some were subtle, like the differences in how certain foods are prepared, seasoned and served.  Others were much more significant, like the building architecture; their shape, texture and color.  One thing was common to all, and that was the level of importance the people attached to their rich and historic culture,… and the extent to which they expressed in their everyday lives.

Whether I was on the streets, attending a business meeting, visiting professors at the university, or touring their offices,… I had the overwhelming sense of the priority which they placed on culture.  Everything (I’m sure it wasn’t everything, but it felt like everything) appeared to have a meaning behind it, a purpose tied to some historic reference or ritual.  It was truly amazing, and even helped forget the fact that there was a 24-hour time difference from my life back home.  I found myself naturally curious about the smallest of details,… asking why and what for…?  And was continually impressed by the detailed answers I would receive.

On the plane ride home, in between the 3 movies and several cat naps, I began to wonder if our generalized use of the term ‘corporate culture’ was inadequate in terms of what I experienced in Asia.  I do recognize the value in designing a space that expresses a company’s culture, or better said how a space can encourage and extend a company’s culture,… which is why it is critical to get inside the head of leaders in an organization to understand the characteristics of culture they are trying to express through their facilities.  Do they want it to show stability and confidence, creativity and collaboration, or caring and a sense of invitation.  All drive different solutions.

But that’s not at the same level, the same depth, of what I witnessed in Asia.  What I saw there was bigger than any one company and any one CEO,… it had historical roots that were very, very deep.  While I admit I’ve just scratched the surface on what these are, I do believe it represents a level of user understanding that will be required to design appropriate and meaningful work-related products, applications and settings for the Asian marketplace.  Is it color, is it shape, is it scale or orientation of people to objects, sounds, smells? It could be none of these or all of these.  Suffice it to say, I’m convinced that designing the Asian work experience must include this higher order expression of culture,… and I can only imagine how wonderful the solutions can be if they honor this understanding.

And not just Asia, I’m excited about what this says about the importance of culture in all parts of the world:  Africa, Europe, South America, and here in  North America.  How do individual and team behaviors vary by culture, how does culture effect work process, and can ancestral cultures be seamlessly braided into corporate culture?  Exciting questions, exciting possibilities.  Don’t you think…?

Comments

[Zeeko Jr.]

"...helped forget the fact that there was a 24-hour time difference from my life back home."

Yeah, being in a timezone 24 hours from home must be brutal. The only upside would be that you don't have to reset your watch, cuz it's the same time as back home. ...Hey, wait just a doggone minute here!

[Mark Greiner]

Dave, I could not have said it better myself – “a sense of place”,… that’s exactly what I felt. And I believe this sense of place will find its way into their sense of work ‘space’.

[dave]

Sounds like what you experienced here Mark is a sense of place, a sense of the land. I've heard this expression by others in describing a feeling that they experienced in regards to land American Indians inhabit. My friend Rosa Say also describes this feeling in her book, Managing with Aloha - about the Hawaiian culture.

I think you are truly fortunate to experience this feeling yourself!! There is little doubt that it will emerge within your work in one way or another.