Media, the lingua franca of Culture

In this two part series you will learn a simple model for understanding how people see the world around them and how they connect and make decisions.

In this second article you will learn how to use the tool of media to build and solidify your organizational identity and culture so your organization can thrive and succeed. In the end, the question of who you are as an organization and how others see you is a key factor in your level of success.

“A nation’s culture resides in the hearts and in the soul of its people” Mahatma Gandhi

Media is one of the key means of cultural communication. Think about what it is to be Canadian, you see images, you hear famous Canadians, your feel the breeze on a cottage dock. These are all ways media translates ongoing inputs into memories in a process of creating a medium between the then and the now. Why is this important? When you consider media as cultural communication you can better position your organizations by connecting your cultural past to a bright future.

The first step is to spotlight your brightest past. This means finding the parts of your organization that really resonate today, highlighting them, using them as defining imagery, sounds, and emotions to communicate who you are today as an organization. In the current cultural climate some organizations can find this step hard because of uncertain political considerations, an ill-defined purpose, ineffective leadership or business strategies that have disenfranchised an entire group. The key here is to create a strong emotional platform that your employees and customers can share.

The second step is to make your surroundings emotionally infectious. In the current state of the world we have all become experts in infectious diseases, so parlay that new knowledge into spreading positive emotions through your cultural media. This can take the form of in-office displays of the organization’s proud past i.e. physical exhibits of old machinery, walls of historical photographs and testimonials, murals, or even quotes from former leaders painted on the walls. All of these create a feeling of history for individuals, a connection to the past, and that emotion will boost morale, reinvigorate a dedication to the work, and create a shared feeling of being a part of something much bigger.

Build these mediums with the input of your employees and customers to ensure success. Is your bakery offering free snack sized cookies to essential workers? Is your NGO communicating the difference you are making every day? is your manufacturing enterprise pivoting your skills to create innovative products? Whatever it is you do, this is the key to showing people who you were, who you are today, and why it matters for our collective future.