Old Photos, Bicycles, and Workplace Culture
Do old photos catch your eye? Are you a bicycle enthusiast? How could this possibly have anything to do with workplace culture?
Old photos are often cherished. A family portrait, an old black and white picture album, or even a photo of someone completely unknown. There is imagination, a story we tell ourselves, and some wonder of what it must have been like.
It’s a piece of history.
The roots of the modern bicycle date back to 1817. It was a means of transportation, less energy to get people farther, faster.
Then it was motorized in the late 1800s and very early 1900s. Once motorized there was no need to peddle. Comfort improved, so did speed.
The evolution took us from walking to leisurely rides by the 1920s and ’30s, and as the decades rolled forward there were even more improvements.
An invention that once served a purpose for low-cost transportation, became leisurely and sophisticated.
Today people ride bicycles mostly for exercise or sport.
What do old photos and bicycles have to do with workplace culture?
Old Photos and Bicycles are Culture
Culture is built on values and beliefs. It’s part of the language, the brand, and what people see.
Within any culture, the story is both real and imagined. Often there is innovation and redesign. Enhancements are welcomed to reduce effort and produce more of the same across a shorter period of time.
Most of all, there is history.
Metaphorically every workplace has an old photo. A story and imagination of how it once worked. It provides meaning, symbols, and stimulates espoused values.
Every workplace metaphorically has a bicycle. Something that was built and changed everything, effort improved, more done with less energy. Yet remnants of the bicycle often remain or are brought back, even if only for the art or the exercise.
Old photos and bicycles exist in every workplace culture.
What is your old photo or bicycle?
Should they stay or go, at least for right now?
-DEG
Dennis E. Gilbert is a business consultant, speaker (CSPTM), and culture expert. He is a five-time author and the founder of Appreciative Strategies, LLC. His business focuses on positive human performance improvement solutions through Appreciative Strategies®. Reach him through his website at Dennis-Gilbert.com or by calling +1 646.546.5553.
