Sorry for being late the party (new to the EA world), but I am interested in this subject because, professionally, I am someone who studies organizations from a psychology perspective.
To sum up my thoughts, there is an old adage that is attributed to Peter Drucker, in which he says “Culture eats strategy for breakfast.” I’m curious to hear your thoughts on the matter because I find that an organization’s culture should be discussed and be a chief priority, even before the official formation of the organization’s final strategy. Culture should be created through deliberate efforts (instead of being “words on the wall”), and be allowed to change when new operators join the organization and want to participate in the formation of the culture.
I’d strongly agree with Drucker, both here and generally. The issue I have is that EA culture already has strong values and norms, ones that don’t necessarily need to be shaped in the same ways because they are already strong in many ways—though careful thought is certainly important. And a very important but unusual concern is that without care, the founder effects, culture, norms and values can easily erode when organizations, or the ecosystem as a whole, grows.
Hi David,
Sorry for being late the party (new to the EA world), but I am interested in this subject because, professionally, I am someone who studies organizations from a psychology perspective.
To sum up my thoughts, there is an old adage that is attributed to Peter Drucker, in which he says “Culture eats strategy for breakfast.” I’m curious to hear your thoughts on the matter because I find that an organization’s culture should be discussed and be a chief priority, even before the official formation of the organization’s final strategy. Culture should be created through deliberate efforts (instead of being “words on the wall”), and be allowed to change when new operators join the organization and want to participate in the formation of the culture.
I’d strongly agree with Drucker, both here and generally. The issue I have is that EA culture already has strong values and norms, ones that don’t necessarily need to be shaped in the same ways because they are already strong in many ways—though careful thought is certainly important. And a very important but unusual concern is that without care, the founder effects, culture, norms and values can easily erode when organizations, or the ecosystem as a whole, grows.