I am sure you heard of 23andMe. It’s a personal genomics and biotechnology company that provides an affordable genetic testing service. The name of the company comes from the 23 pairs of chromosomes we all have.
Their basic kit, called “Welcome to you,” can tell you a lot about who you are and where you come from.
The testing process is simple — you send 23andMe a sample of your saliva, and a couple of weeks later, you receive a report containing a lot of cool stuff.
For starters, there’s your ancestry (who knew that you were 0.1 Peruvian and a tiny bit Neanderthal, too?!). Then, you also get to find out where those beautiful eyes of yours come from, why you’re prone to gaining fat in the waist area (I feel you!), and where your cilantro taste aversion originates from.
Invisible in plain sight
While your hereditary material is invisible and can only be discovered via genetic testing, you are its visible embodiment. The color of your eyes, your body type, and some of your food preferences are all observable manifestations of your genome.
The same is true for your company’s Cultural Genome. You may not be able to see the intrinsic drivers such as shared beliefs, assumptions, values, attitudes and worldview but they do show up in the behaviors of your team.
It’s all in the genome
Your company’s Cultural Genome contains vital information that defines your identity and shapes your future. It carries crucial instructions that dictate:
- What you do
- How you do it
- Where you go
- What kind of company you become
Trying to cultivate a strong culture without understanding your Cultural Genome first is a lot like trying to build an operating system without a deep understanding of the hardware architecture. Impossible.
This is the second of the series of articles that will help you avoid the pitfalls of accidental cultures and show you how to map your cultural genome and build a solid foundation for a culture that truly and powerfully serves your purpose and enables you to bend history in the right direction. You can find the first article of the series here. I hope that you find the series helpful!
Copyright, Aga Bajer 2020, All Rights Reserved.
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