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The Transperience Actbook: Synchronizing Culture
Merger, onboarding, and teaming made brain-friendly.
You immediately spotted them. There was something about them, the way they talked or walked. You could not say what, but you instantly knew they were strangers. Which automatically and unconsciously made you more aware and alert. You were ready to defend yourself and your tribe. You became culturally protective.
The gut reaction to cultural differences is not curiosity and interest. It is alarm and withdrawal. Instantly, we prepare to fight or flee.
The question of survival comes before anything else. We are only ready to open our minds and hearts when we feel safe.
When companies merge, onboard new people, or establish new teams, the same old brain regions are responsible for the first reaction to change.
Cultural differences can either promote integration and generate new opportunities, or work against the intention and ruin everything.
That is why synchronizing culture in organizations is so important.
Culture is the sum of learned and shared beliefs, values, and actions we use to identify ourselves and provide a framework for living and working. It is reflected in our worldviews, stories, artifacts, and actions. Culture…
