Fish And Bird
Fish and bird
consider
each other.
Though
both swim.
Fish
fears air
and
will never
understand
bird.
bird
only
understands
fish
as
lunch.
—-
In your company, you may have been involved in a clash of cultures. Forward momentum slowed; the cultures working against each other.
Even though they try to communicate, words and worlds keep them apart.
As a result, they have difficulty seeing the value or meaning of the other’s way. One fears the change; the other seeks the gain.
One swims in water, following a linear and sequential process; the other swims in air, adopting an incremental and iterative approach.
One stays in its comfort zone; the other exploits it for its own.
They never understand or respect each other as equals or partners.
I was often part of the flocks of birds, but sometimes the fish. I can't say, I always acted perfectly to align (sometimes I am too rebellious). This original poem was written about this culture clash. But I sent this to a Chinese friend to translate. They told me of a sad children’s story they grew up with, about a fish and bird who loved each other. But because their worlds are so different they had to stay apart. In the comments I will share the translation(s). This changed my perspective. And maybe it is love for the other (and the company's mission) will help me better align the birds and fishes, in the future:
☐ Learn from and appreciate each other’s differences. Find a common language and goal to bridge the gaps and align the interests.
☐ Embrace the challenge and share the benefit. Recognize each culture’s strengths and weaknesses, and create synergy by complementing each other.
☐ Step out of the boundaries and collaborate with each other. Respect each other’s values and perspectives, and integrate them into a cohesive and flexible process.
---
I write these ‘poems or stories’ and have artists illustrate them (this artist can be found here: https://lnkd.in/gvcXEkkf ), I shared them for a while every friday (the last one was a year ago: https://bit.ly/3GqQmi4 ).
This post was Human Crafted.
Have a great weekend.
Link to original Linkedin Post and Comments: https://bit.ly/40L7Hwg