Culture: Physical Structures & Symbols
The first aspect of culture worth mentioning is the physical structure and symbols of a group or organisation. Google, Microsoft, the IBM suit… walk into an office building and look at the architecture, the decor, the office desks. What are the structures and symbols that define these people?
As a portion of the physical artifacts of an organisation the physical structures and symbols that are shared hold important cues. On a personal level, look at the houses of different people in society and the uniforms they wear that define something about who they are and what they stand for. Patch member bikers, card holding yacht clubbers, and boy scouts.
When you start your new company, for example, your offices and how you lay them out are going to say as much about you as the words you say and the stories you tell. Similarly, the culture of your competition is worn on their sleeve, literally. And the same goes for your customers.
Paying attention to the cultural aspects around you is an important part of understanding your business (and personal) environment. Tomorrow I’ll write a little about another cultural artifact – language.
