Culture as Viewed from its Base

Culture is defined by the worst behaviors tolerated. We are all responsible for some part of it. Here are some excerpts from The Promises of Giants by John Amaechi:

“.. it is not the most common behaviors in a culture that define them, rather it’s the worst behaviors tolerated. Anytime someone in a company, or indeed in society, sees that a nonoptimal behavior goes unsanctioned and sometimes is rewarded, the culture resets to that new baseline or behavior — behavior that (usually) makes life easier for an individual or requires no personal change, but diminishes the organizational performance or colleague experience..

.. Someone drops a bit of rubbish in the form of a seemingly minor or fleeting indiscretion — an inappropriate or an uncharitable comment — and we tell ourselves it’s nothing major, just a scrap. Someone will pick it up.
But once a few scraps start blowing around, people get used to it. Once it becomes clear that leadership has chosen to tolerate a bit of rubbish, people feel safer in the choice to leave their own behind. And, unattended, the rubbish will accumulate faster than those sidewalk butts.”