One family, one corporate tribe

"We have plenty of meetings, but it's always the same people doing the talking." Anthropologist Danielle Braun calls this a "Western ego issue." In ancient Indian tribes (tribes), people worked with representatives. There, not everyone had to speak; there, representatives took turns speaking and giving advice to the chief. In important decisions, even in our culture, it is the company management that makes the choices. How you organise consultation is an issue here. Working methods and insights from ancient cultures can be helpful here.

presentation back to basics corporate tribe presentation tent

Understanding at once what it is about

Team4Teams facilitates discussions between managements and managers and all employees in the run-up to an important, necessary change. In this way, the management hopes to gain support in situations where taking action is at odds with including everyone in a change. So that energy is generated to make decisions.

Corporate Tribe at buitenplaats de Hoorneboeg
Corporate tribe with importer

For instance, a leading importer organised a two-day 'corporate tribe' by stressing the need for back to basics in tepees and with stall lamps. Circumstances at the time necessitated a pass. In circle discussions, different aspects were discussed and debated. With cooking together on campfires and sleeping in tepees, conversation was also encouraged informally.

Corporate Tribe the dormitories in tepees
Not a meeting but a staff consultation prior to an important decision

What is a corporate tribe?

The term comes from 'corporate anthropology', a science that examines organisational cultures with anthropological eyes.

Tribes from ancient cultures such as in Africa and North America used community meetings to hear all voices in the tribe prior to important decisions. Here and now too, discussing all aspects in advance is essential to reach a good, supported and transparent decision. Everyone then knows: a decision must be made. Everyone gets the opportunity to think and be represented. The company functions more like a family than a team!

book corporate tribe

Using forms of cooperation from other cultures

It is not that strange to look at other cultures and choose working methods from them to help address problems a company experiences. That is the view of corporate anthropologists Danielle Braun (1968) and Jitske Kramer (1973) in their book The corparate tribe. The book on organisational culture covers topics such as: 'a culture creates order out of chaos', 'in the relationships it happens' and 'tools for culture transitions to transform existing problems'. Some 30 stories take readers to other cultures to gain new insights for their own businesses. 

Reaching out to each other and working in unison is the most important thing in this.

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