Category: culture

leadership dot #166a: organizational fruit

January 4, 2026December 24, 2025by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

This week, I got my first pomegranate of the season — one of the few wintertime things that I actually enjoy! I did not even know what the fruit was until a few years ago, but now I will have a bowl of pomegranate seeds in my refrigerator continuously until spring comes and they are no longer available.

Pomegranates are a lot like organizations. If you open one up, there are pods with seeds clumped together, but the seeds are all individual pieces. It’s a lot like departments in an organization — honeycombs of little seeds — all separated from each other.

For those who try to get all the seeds out individually, it is a lot of work. Usually, it is more work than it is worth. But if you cut the pomegranate in half and soak the halves in a bowl of water, the seeds will pull away from each other effortlessly and are easily skimmed off.

So it is with organizations. If you encompass the group in a common environment and have a shared mission, people will come out of their clusters and become part of the whole. If you try to gain favor individually without an overarching vision, it is difficult to achieve.

Next time you’re at the market, pick up a pomegranate if you haven’t yet enjoyed one, and think about organizational culture when you’re preparing it for your yogurt or salad. There are lessons to be learned everywhere.

Originally published in modified form on November 14, 2012

leadership dot #4823: appeals

December 16, 2025December 11, 2025by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

When I was growing up, “Because I said so” was the final word when uttered by my parents. There was no arguing or further justification; the decision was made.

However, today, people from pre-schoolers to presidents are unwilling to accept the initial answer from anyone. I heard someone describe it as living in “the appeal culture”, where if you don’t like something, you appeal it to the next level.

Whether parent to teacher > principal > superintendent or employee to boss > boss’s boss > CEO, this unwillingness to accept a decision that doesn’t go your way diverts time and energy as the appeal process lingers on.

There are certainly times when a higher authority needs to review a miscarriage of justice, but further pursuit is often unwarranted. Before you escalate a grievance or decision to the next level, consider whether there was an actual wrong or whether it’s just something you don’t like.

leadership dot #4747: over the top

October 1, 2025September 30, 2025by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

Since I missed seeing the Savannah Bananas in person, I decided that the next best thing was to read their story in the book Banana Ball. Founder Jesse Cole describes the evolution of the crazy team/movement.

One of the behind-the-scenes processes they use to create the energy that has captivated thousands involves “Over the Top” (OTT) sessions. Every single week, the team introduces something new into the Banana Ball experience. That is a lofty goal, and to achieve it requires participation from everyone in the room.

“We are never afraid of bad ideas. I mean, never,” wrote Cole. “Anything to get the flow going. Bad ideas usually lead to good ideas. We have our buckets, similar to idea themes, and we just start throwing out ideas. Everybody has to come up with an idea for each bucket. If we get these crazy reactions and animated responses, that’s when we know we’re headed in the right direction. If there’s a lot of pausing and stammering and quiet, then we’re stuck.”

To push the envelope as they do — every week — it requires a level of trust that most organizations fail to achieve. I’m teaching a culture class where we’re studying psychological safety, and OTT sessions could be a good illustration of that concept in action. If people are hesitant to speak up, if they are afraid of being ridiculed or of their idea being laughed at, or if there is fear of providing a ‘wrong’ idea, safety doesn’t exist. Apparently, in Bananaland, trust is high and the safety net is strong — leading to phenomenal success within the organization.

Two takeaways: 1) work first to create psychological safety so that people can speak freely about ideas or issues, and 2) don’t just brainstorm for ordinary ideas — shoot for Over the Top to achieve something truly special.

Source: The Unbelievably True Story of the Savannah Bananas by Jesse Cole, 2023

leadership dot #4666: memorialized

July 5, 2025July 4, 2025by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

I was in Plymouth, Massachusetts — so of course, I had to see the infamous Plymouth Rock that I heard about in grade school. All the locals warned me that the site was “underwhelming” (and it was), but it seemed like a bit of history that I should see while I was so close.

It was disappointing to learn that the rock has been moved inland from its original (authentic?) location, but then I was reminded that it isn’t really “the rock” that is the important part. “It is the fact that they landed — and remained — that matters, not where they landed. Yet it is no bad thing for a nation to be founded on a rock,” reads the plaque at the site.

Plymouth Rock serves as a symbol of the building of a new nation. In some ways, it’s inconsequential whether it is a true story, the original rock, or the initial location of the boulder. People come to see and celebrate what the rock represents.

Think of the values and moments that you wish to memorialize in your organization. Creating a symbol can be the rock that solidifies that message into the future.

leadership dot #3422a: dinosaur

June 27, 2025June 22, 2025by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

I have a friend who has been interviewing for the same job for two months. He went to multiple in-person interviews, plus had to do a presentation, but still has not finished the process. The company is a 9-5, in-person only, formal dress kind of place — and that, combined with their antiquated interviewing process, makes me think that they are less than progressive with their culture and way of operating.

And yet, in the latest interview, the vice president commented on how they were a fast-moving company that was able to pivot quickly. The misalignment between how they see themselves and how they act is a red flag. It’s one thing to work at a place that follows traditional practices, but worrisome when the leadership doesn’t realize that their human resources are anything but cutting edge.

It’s easy to get so used to the culture that you can’t see it from an external perspective. Counteract this by capitalizing on your new hires or using external groups to get a reality check on how you are perceived by those who aren’t ingrained in the organization. It’s ok to be a dinosaur, but not ok to be one and think you’re a cheetah.

Originally published in modified form on October 28, 2021

leadership dot #4620: brainstorming

May 13, 2025May 12, 2025by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

It’s fashionable for people to seek out-of-the-box thinking. It implies innovation and creativity, and the new ideas generated in such brainstorming sessions can lead to product breakthroughs and market gains.

There is also out-of-the-planet thinking where the ideas are so far out of the box as to not be doable under the parameters provided. Out-of-the-planet can be awesome in the right circumstances or with the right timeline, but pushing for such changes within hard constraints doesn’t lead anywhere.

Before you engage in any idea generation or brainstorming, it’s important to understand the purpose and desired use of the outcomes. Staying grounded on Earth may be the most helpful, or the culture may embrace further exploration. Know how far your rocket is headed before you blast off.

leadership dot #4609: time together

May 2, 2025May 1, 2025by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

As the calendar turns to May, it’s a time when people start to look ahead to summer. The warmer months have a different vibe — schools are out, vacations are in, and for many organizations, it provides an opportunity for more in-depth reflection and time to plan as a team.

I’m reminded of a quote one of my sister’s clients shared with her: “You can’t legacy joy.” You can tell those new hires about the cool stuff you did last year, but they can’t know it without having been there. It’s possible to fill people in about the retreat you had, but it’s not the same as participating in person. Others can share the story about the fun things you did together, but you won’t feel it unless you were present.

It’s especially important to recreate traditions for those who have recently joined your teams, and it’s also valuable to create new experiences for the whole group. Plan now to take advantage of a slower cadence and spend some quality time together this summer. Your efforts will pay off in the seasons that follow.

Thanks, Amy & Kate

leadership dot #4576: benches

March 30, 2025March 28, 2025by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

Ever since my sister pointed them out, I have been paying attention to benches in public spaces. Some cities or campuses have benches with dividers in the middle. You also see these frequently in airports and waiting areas as they are intentionally designed to discourage people from lying down or sleeping there. Other cities have embraced the flip side of that, intentionally utilizing seating areas that invite people to lean back and rest for a moment.

Bored Panda created a collection of the “92 most creative benches and seats ever” and they include many that encourage the prone position, highlighting that benches can be beautiful as well as welcoming.

You may not think something as simple as a bench could make a statement about you, but it does. Welcoming? Artsy? Pragmatic? Restrictive? Sit with your decision for a while and consider what values you wish to communicate with your choice of seats.

Seat on a Boston street that discourages lying down; Seat at MIT that encourages it

leadership dot #4549: wind

March 3, 2025February 28, 2025by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

It was 52 degrees here on Friday — 17 degrees above average. If you just looked at the temperature, you would assume that people were outside soaking in the abundant sunshine…

But accompanying the heat were wicked winds with gusts up to 47 mph, making it feel like a chilly 33 degrees. So much for those shorts!

Culture is a lot like that wind — a force that permeates everything and can shift the organization. Results may be present, but if there is a negative wind as well, it will distract from how it feels to those who work there.

If you’re a supervisor, ensure that you monitor the “real feel” to learn the true state of your organization. If you only look at the “temperature” (aka output), you can miss the underlying morale issues blowing through your culture.

leadership dot #4429: rule book

November 3, 2024November 1, 2024by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

You are probably familiar with Rules of the Road, the booklet that contains all the details drivers must know before passing their licensing test. I was surprised to learn that there is a companion version of Rules for Safe Driving on the Airport Surface.

This booklet provides the procedures for ground vehicle operations in an attempt to avoid “a runway incursion.” The driver likely knows how to operate the vehicle, but needs to supplement that knowledge with an understanding of Air Traffic Control instructions, airfield signs, runway markings, lighting, aviation terminology, and security. I flunked the self-assessment!

Maybe your organization needs its own “Rules” book to help newcomers learn the specific language, policies, and practices crucial to your organization By providing them with the key behaviors in a digestible form, you can avoid workplace incursions and help them safely navigate the culture.