Why people are attracted to culture

Ping pong, unlimited PTO, bringing your dog to work – this is where most of us start when we think about corporate culture. It’s true, but it’s only part of the picture. It would be like watching the trailer to any movie and saying you’ve seen the movie.

Sorry, you didn’t actually see the movie. But you did see some of the most interesting and attractive parts of the film.

People mistake culture for things-I-wish-I-had-at-work all the time. Culture is bigger than that. Culture includes the good stuff. And culture includes the bad stuff. It’s not just ping pong in the break room, but the frustration of your supervisor that you’re playing ping pong while you have a deadline you’re accountable for in 2 hours. Culture includes all of it – it’s the way of life for any organization, team, family, or group.

The reason people like culture is because they’ve witnessed great ones, and that provides enough hope to believe it might be possible for them to experience that same greatness for themselves. And the good news is, they’re right. We all have the power to change culture. We have to start small, but we all have the ability to create a new or better way of life.

Think of culture this way: an entry point to provide hope for the people all around you. The opportunity is there for anyone willing to pay attention to the opportunity at hand. As long as you know what to do next.