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August 6, 2007
Observation + Assumption = Implications
Posted by Brad Abare | Filed under: Experience
A group of female Israeli soldiers all wearing sandals with their green uniform.
A Turkish policeman laughing and chatting on his cell phone while on duty.
A black veil over the faces of several women in the customs line at the Istanbul airport.
The smell of body odor protruding from way too many men in the hot Middle Eastern sun.
With each new observation I find myself making assumptions about entire groups of people. Therefore:
All female Israeli soldiers must wear sandals with their green uniform.
Turkish policemen must not be trained to avoid using cell phones while on duty.
Women who wear black veils are creepy and must worship some strange god.
Middle Eastern men don't believe in deodorant.
I do know that I'm naive and incorrect for thinking this way, but it happened and still happens nonetheless. And I believe this same observation+assumption pattern is having huge implications for organizations around the world, including yours.
From what employees are telling their friends over drinks at happy hour, to how the call center behaves on the phone, every point of contact for your organization is opportunity for observation by those who do not know you. And every observation will turn into an assumption that may or may not be true.
How is the personality of your organization expressed and experienced by those it comes in contact with?
Personal Note: These thoughts are fresh on my mind because for the last several weeks my wife Jamaica and I have been here in the Middle East. We started in Tel-Aviv, Israel, and today we are in Istanbul, Turkey. Amidst the clash of cultures, religions and climates, we have been experiencing a ton. The trip has been primarily for work--I put on an event for 3,000 people in Jerusalem--but it's ending with a little R&R.
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