Fitting in

First off, so excited that our family has grown by one member and within the next month we will have another baby join us very soon. Wish I could be there with you all.

Bajao (Bang)

Every week we have a social day.  This week during social day we played the game “Bajao” which means Bang.  This is a made up game where there are two teams.  You pass the ball around and the goal is to hit the other team with the ball.  Basically its people cornering you and then whipping this ball at you.  The goal is to hit everyone on the other team with the ball.  As I said people are extra competitive here and words like “enemy,” “annihilate” and “destroy” were used during my teams huddle.  Below are a couple short videos.  And yes, there were injuries.

 

 

 

 

Workplace Culture

It’s been 3 weeks since I arrived at the “Academy.”  An intense exercise in skill-building, “socialization,” and “norming.”  Here is the organizations mantra on how it describes its culture:

“We are on a journey to understand and magnify self, others and life.  On this journey we will be guided by 2 phrases: Excellence is a habit and Grace under Pressure.  Through this journey, whenever we look at a problem, we will ask ourselves: “what will I do about it.”

So yeah…We have these cards with mantras, quotes and guidelines of what is acceptable behavior.  People who stay, and most do (80% since it started 7 years ago), seem to love working here.  The quantity of work that gets done and the quality of work is astounding. All day workshops, activities and structures are designed to build this culture of collaboration, camaraderie and commitment.  There are 15 of these cards. Here is one example:

On the other hand, a person’s identity and individual wellness is dulled and de-prioritized for the the greater good of the organization.  I have been thinking about:

• How much should an individual sacrifice for the greater good of an organization? 
• What % of your true self should you bring to the job? 
• What about an organization’s vision/ideology makes the sacrifice worth it?

It didn’t add up and I was beginning to feel a little isolated + a big part of my job is to protect and implement this collective culture that I am not fully aligned with.   Finally last night I was invited out…

I had noticed people were going out on our off nights but I was never invited for a variety of reasons, most likely, just not knowing what to think of me.  We went to the bar.  Outside of work confines I saw a different side.  Shiny eyed laughter, swearing (no swearing is allowed during the work day), fun stories, making fun of another, venting.  Finally we get back to the hotel.  And as we stand in the parking lot.  One cab after another comes back with other people tipsy, giggling and unrestrained.

Still in the parking lot, a circle of 7 of us, I noticed a look between 3 people.  The shady look.  The look I have given other friends when I was younger when we wanted to do something against the rules and there was someone with ‘authority’ nearby.  3 people then walked off to a hidden part of the parking lot.   Do I follow this made-up protocol of professionalism and go to sleep and let the late 20/early 30 somethings hit the J?   Or do I show a glimpse of my true self and partake?  Cuz its been so long and that would be a great end to a long week and fun night.  The way it played out:  I could sense they were ok with me being there.  We were all having a good time.  We looked at each other for a sec and finally I said: “it’s okay, we don’t have to play these games.  light it up.”  They did.  I didn’t gain any more clarity on my questions but at least we got to know one another better and share genuine laughter.

A picture tells us so much!

This is the school team, the group I work with.  My position in the picture exemplifies much of my experience with the team: Smiling with my eyes, enjoying myself, a little out of sync with everyone else, included in many things but often on the periphery.

An example of what it sounds and looks like when the group makes a collective decision.  

 

 

Always playing learning games.  Intense.