We, society, have watched a lot of great organizations thrive. Think of any "American Staples". If someone would boast about being a member of the organization as a politician.... you can guess it was a staple.
We, society, have watched a lot of great organizations disappear.
According to one article 20-80% loss of an organizations membership. He had good points but I want to leave that for him, or maybe expand more later.
According to one article 20-80% loss of an organizations membership. He had good points but I want to leave that for him, or maybe expand more later.
Think about all the club space that sits empty in America. Grange halls, Masonic Halls, Rotary Meeting spaces as examples....
Yeaaahhh, exactly.
Think about this..
The other day I was wandering my alma mater for a football game with one of my best friends. She was bemoaning that much had changed, and I was asserting that it was important that it wasn't the same as when we left. Even though we are relatively young alumnae.
That was when I found myself being able to really verbalize how organizations have to assert themselves when building, and maintaining memberships. In the course of working and maintaining your organization you must determine culture verses ritual.
Distinctly Different.
Culture, changes. I assert that it needs to change. The way we build our organizations need to change. The way I reach a 14 year old that wants to join my youth organization HAD BETTER be different than in 1988. They look at different things, we have progressed as society in a way that is different. Living in nostalgia only satiates those that it served back in 1988. No one is benefited by remaining in the past.
Same if you want a 30 year old to join. I laugh when they say that the death of these organizations are because of millennial laziness or apathy. Millennial give at a huge rate. More on that in another post.
Same if you want a 30 year old to join. I laugh when they say that the death of these organizations are because of millennial laziness or apathy. Millennial give at a huge rate. More on that in another post.
Ritual, must remain the same. Ritual, should never keep involvement to an extremely low rate, but is the natural premise of the organization. As example, if you have an organization that was started to benefit the introduction of writing and acting to kids, building a science camp would be out of ritual. That would require you to completely change what the organization is about, and who it serves. Ritual should rarely, change. Ritual can change a little but only very rarely. (If you are an organization that has a ritual, like fraternal organizations, I mean including but beyond the ritual that you probably have somewhere).
I use the example of Alma Mater as example. The fact that we sing our fight song, is ritual. The fact that during part of the song you triple clap, when, as a student we double clapped, is culture. That doesn't take away from the song but has a different flavor.
Homework:
As an organization write out ritual vs. culture.
The first place you should look at is your articles of corporation and by laws. That should start your list.
The first place you should look at is your articles of corporation and by laws. That should start your list.
Read it out.
Now have everyone blurt out what what they think is important. That annual ski trip for the officers! Cool. The fact that we are specific to one gender! cool. That we are only for those that want to give more than 10 hours a month to their community. Cool. Get that list alllllll out in the open.
Now really really evaluate it.
My fake organization, as example, is all about the raising and showing of unicorns. Those lovely pointed headed bastards are our sweet sweet joys.
So think it over, mull it over. Well those pointed headed bastards love drinking single malt whiskey. We like to dye their tails and manes from time to time. They eat cotton candy, but we also like to supplement them with lemonade, and rock candy, for their health.
So think it over, mull it over. Well those pointed headed bastards love drinking single malt whiskey. We like to dye their tails and manes from time to time. They eat cotton candy, but we also like to supplement them with lemonade, and rock candy, for their health.
Perfect!
What if someone decided that it was inhumane to dye their manes and tails?
What if someone decided that it was inhumane to dye their manes and tails?
Culture or ritual?
What if someone with a Pegasus wanted to join?
Would it be culture or ritual for you re-write your organization for the Pegasus. Are those wingy little bastards the same?
Culture or ritual?
What if someone with a Pegasus wanted to join?
Would it be culture or ritual for you re-write your organization for the Pegasus. Are those wingy little bastards the same?
Culture or ritual?
Okay well what about a chupacabras?Them little bitey bastards are different. They eat goats and drink fear.
Culture or ritual?
Culture or ritual?
Well I'd wage a guess that one of these would be a ritual and one of these is a culture.
The worst words I hear in an organization is "when I was starting in this organization". Is what you are about ready to complain about a ritual (integral to what we do) or is it a culture (it involves a shift that would allow for equal participation of like minded people or allow us to build a system that would reach more people over time)
Flexibility saves organizations.
Serious goals saves organizations.
These are not mutually exclusive. But growth comes from knowing the difference
