6:00pm
Announcements- did any test out our active listening or conflict resolution stuff from last week?
Reading for next week – handout and Henry pg. 296-300
Guest speaker for next week- Nelson Pizarro- social entrepreneurship
Show management resources- "One minute Manager" and "How to Win Friends & Influence People"
6:10pm
Onegashimas “I ask of you” – to have an open mind tonight- to use this space to explore possibilities. Re-learn our capacity to be surprised.
What is organizational culture? Khademian: commitment to common understandings of how things get done.
What is culture? “to cultivate,” generally refers to patterns of human activity and the symbolic structures that give such activity significance. The universal human capacity to classify, codify and communicate their experiences symbolically.
Acculturation : “…the process by which a simple society adopts a more complex societal structure.” (Rubin, 1974, p. 23) take it on as your own, give up old ways.
Enculturation “…is the process by which new members of a society become part of the culture.” (Fishman, 1985, p. 24) maintain your identity, but are immersed within another culture.
What are the attributes of each? The roots/pieces that create “culture/” (religion, ideologies: democracy, race, gender, language, tradition, leaders, technology, personal physical space, placement of offices/doors/desks, dress, stories) Cultural attributes are “...the relatively permanent and immutable personal and background characteristics of the individual.” (Tsui & Gutek, 1999, p. 47)
We cannot just talk around culture using terms like atmosphere and environment as Khademian does. There are certain inextricable pieces of ourselves we bring to work with us every day and these attributes can effect how organizational cultures culminate.
Where is PA's place in relation to culture? (to manage or not?, policies, rules, change/re-direct culture) ----- this is what the following workshop will address.
6:30pm
Decision-making workshop. Learning objective is to see if models work in relation to matters of culture. Handout, break into groups of no more than four. 20 minutes for workshop, 10 minutes for de-brief. What did we learn? Click here to view handout.
7:00pm
BREAK- 10 minutes
7:10pm
Contemplative education workshop/ gazing exercise. Adapted from what Sarah Williams & Bill Arney developed. 40 minutes.
Learning objective is to sit in concert with your thoughts. Literal definition of scholarship is “to sit with.” Instead of focusing on what you will say next or if your facial expressions lead the talker effectively--- just sit with yourself and each other. Silence can be a centering act. It can allow us to stop the tape loop of judgment and interpretation. Breathe, focus, gaze…….. look into your self by looking at another. Contemplate. Be aware.
You are going to break off into groups of two. One person will be the witness/mirror and the other person will be the speaker. You will each trade roles for each question.
Move: knee to knee, one on one. Can sit in chairs, on the floor or tables. Move where you need to in the classroom.
Mirror person can say nothing and have no facial expression. Mirror person starts by repeating the question asked directly to the responder.
What are the attributes that make-up your culture? (2 minutes of silent reflection)
Describe a moment when you were made to feel “aware” of an attribute of your culture. (5 minutes each= 10 minutes total)
*For this last question, the witness/mirror person can repeat the question if they believe the responder is not really getting to the heart of the matter.
Define that from which your definition of your culture arises? (2 minutes of silent reflection, 5 minutes each= 12 total.)
De-brief with each other in two person groups= 5 minutes.
Return to your seats- any changes to your understanding of culture?
7:50pm
BREAK- 10 minutes
8:00pm
Form groups
8:30pm
Go to seminar