Lovingly culture design

We live our lives inside cultures both in the small me-to-me-culture, the cultures we create inside couples, friendships, inside a family, a society, at a workplace, institutions, systems and in countries. Each culture is unfolded in the acts, habits and routines in communication, rituals, rules and ways of behaving towards each other.

A culture is good for us, makes us feel safe – we know what to do and how, the ways to interact without having to figure out so much. A culture makes us feel a comfortable part of a union. This is of cause, only when the practised culture allows us to be our true selves.

Culture is the characteristics and knowledge of a particular group of people, defined by everything from language, religion, cuisine, social habits, politics, music and arts.

Culture is a shared patterns of behaviors and interactions, cognitive constructs and understanding that are learned by socialization. It can be seen as the growth of a group identity fostered by social patterns unique to the group.

The word “culture” derives from a French term, which in turn derives from the Latin “colere,” which means to tend to the earth and grow, or cultivation and nurture.

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Sometimes a work-culture makes us be stressed, feel separated, undervalued, wrong or not belonging. We can feel lonely or “a wrong being” inside a culture and still not able to break out – in fear to be not accepted, or we might not have the courage to go in other directions that could or could not feel better for us, valued, understood. Or worse if we break out we might risk to stay all alone, this we can fear.

We can be part of a culture that change little by little in a way we don’t like, but we cannot resist a development, for instance if the change is because a company grow from small to big. Either we must adapt to the changes – or leave and this is not so easy. When a culture seems to be settled, we often regard this as the only right way to live – and many of us don´t want changes into anything new and unknown. It seems to be insecure.

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Humans need to feel part of a trial. Belonging at least to one self, maybe to another and also to a smaller or bigger group.

It´s important that the habits we create inside cultures make us feel good. Else we must change the habits. To make a culture be lovable, warm, inspiring, enriching and productive for everyone part of the culture, we must look into the basic human values and needs, – it’s not enough to discuss new rules or decide a compromise that is so-so for most of the culture-members.

We cannot “think” how to create a sustainable culture where a pleasant atmosphere, that doesn’t feed stress, is lasting and durable.

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To re-create a culture it´s necessary to go deeper into what is really important for the culture members: we need heart-contact to other people in a way, where we can be who we really are. We need to feel loved. We need to feel allowed to give love and to share.
Also at work.
Creating a new culture or change an old one to be better, we can use a lot of creative design tools. Its necessary to “live into” the changes a practical way. Combine it with the acts that is basic for the workplace, institution, local area etc., where the culture has to unfold it self. But it’s first of all important that each member is able to sense oneself, knows about one self and likes oneself.

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Therefore the creation-process must start with the individuals. If we have lived too long inside a culture unfolding habits that made us feel bad, we can have forgotten who we are. We can have come to identify ourselves with practical acts and habits, and then removing them can open for confusion and emptiness – at first. Unless we go back in memory to find former situations in our lives, where we know for sure: here it absolutely feels good to be.
Lovable, compassionate cultures must be created form hearts.
Then habits, communications, interior furnishings design of the physical spaces, cities, parks, playgrounds etc. must be designed in a way that supports the new culture: makes it easy for us to act intuitively, natural and lovingly.

Use of rituals are important to manifest, realize and hold on to a new or re-designed culture. As we reflect and copy each other in a culture – often unconsciously, are rituals a tool to maintain a new loving, compassionate and supportive compassionate mood level.

A culture must be able to accommodate many individual needs, for instance introvert and extrovert humans have different needs to feel good. But also the individuals must accommodate to the culture as the higher goal for how a group can manage, produce and function as a whole. This requires a certain amount of resilience by the individuals.
We must accept that not everything is suited only to our own egoistic selves all the time. Loving oneself is not only to get ones will, also to be able to give into a culture. And receive. Find balance and harmony.

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In future we will likely have to create new cultures with what feels as a secure sense of bond, belonging, inclusiveness, closeness, trust, respect, acceptance and love, so that we can express and unfold our best for the whole and enjoy it.
This will give possibility for more flexible cultures, where changes create less stress. Change of cultures can change organizations and structures.

In a world growing more global it is necessary to create new cultures crossing the old ones. Make them be lovable, transparent, honest and trustful in the way we speak to each other, touch, are present, eat together, work together, learn together, help each other to feel whole authentic responsible lovable beings.
Care, compassion and love have to be implemented in future cultures.
Global and local.