Culture

Two fish were swimming down a river. 

They saw an older fish swimming across them. 

The older fish asked ‘Good day. How’s the water like today?’

The two younger fish looked at each other and muttered ‘What water? He must be crazy.' 

I came across this story with the focal point of discussion on — Culture. 

Culture is synonymous to the water in this fish story to any organisation, committee, groups we work in. It is there but we seldom notice or pay any attention to it. 

If the working culture is first class, helpful, collaborative, accommodating, it could influence the morale of the individuals in it. 

On the flip side, a debilitating, toxic, unsympathetic working culture is one the same to those swimming in murky water full of industrial wastes and particulates — individuals are less likely to achieve their full potential and function at their optimum best. 

Most of us were brought up in families, with circle of relatives and friends whereby a set definitive path has been laid out for us. Even when it’s not there, if we squint hard enough, we could make out an imaginary path where our forebears have trekked upon. We move on from university, onto our next job, onto the subsequent one; we start climbing the corporate ladder. In time, the cycle repeats itself almost like a perpetual machine, except this one defy all laws of physics and keep churning on for generations and generations. 

Does an alternate life plan exist?

Is there a reason why most founders congregate in Silicon Valley? 

Is there a reason why the defacto career path of chasing your own ideals in form of profit, non profit do not seem to permeate to the rest of the world. 

I understand and do not discount the difficulty of chasing your ideals.  On the back of every successful company lies a bedrock of failed ventures, broken dreams and shattered goals. 

Perhaps, it was never about us not having the goals, the seemingly ever distant dream, the insurmountable odds stacked against us, the naysayers, the lack of fundings, et cetera. 

For all you know, it may very well come down to — Culture.