I was at a baseball game, and when I finished with my snack, I threw the paper basket on the floor under my seat. There, it joined the wrappers, cups, and uneaten food from everyone in the row.
I would never even think of leaving trash on the ground at a park, concert, or really, anywhere else. I even carry out my refuse at a movie theater, but the norms at a baseball stadium say it is acceptable (even expected) to leave the garbage behind.
It was a reminder of the power of organizational behavior. You can create norms that have people pick up after themselves and leave no trace behind, or ones that let people throw everything on the floor. If you don’t set clear expectations for the behavior you want, people will default to the most convenient, less demanding outcome.
Be explicit about the type of culture you want to create. One piece of (metaphorical) garbage easily leads to more of it, whereas a lack of it also models the expected behavior. Don’t trash your culture by letting undesirable behavior go unchecked.
