It was good to see an argument that fixing our dysfunctional political culture is possible. I read Efosa Ojomo’s Medium articles about How the Same Employees went from Being the Worst Performers to Being the Best.

It’s about the NUMMI plant. This was the GM plant in Fremont, California. There were strikes, grievances, absenteeism, low productivity, even sabotage. And then management tackled the culture at the plant.

A Dysfunctional Culture can become Highly Productive

To turn it around, they started with a vision: Quality Cars. They gave them better tools, like the ability to stop the assembly line. They put trust into the system. They wrote down the entire process for firing someone. The workers learned that their hard work and loyalty would earn respectful treatment from their employer.

They started with a culture that asked: Who’s to blame for problems? They supported the transition to a culture that asked “Why did this happen?” so problems could be fixed.

Culture is Malleable

The above post was his second on the subject of culture. In his first post, Ojomo wrote about culture. The definition:

“a pattern of basic assumptions — invented, discovered, or developed by a given group as it learns to cope with its problems of external adaptation and internal integration — that has worked well enough to be considered valid and, therefore, to be taught to new members as the correct way to perceive, think, and feel in relation to those problems.”

 

What about Politics?

This is a great way to look at our political structure. Our politics developed over many years as we learned to cope with being a new country. It worked well enough to be considered valid, so people learn about it as the “correct way to perceive, think and feel” about politics.

Yes, our political system works poorly. Yes, it has some corruption. And our rules about Congress are rife with conflicts of interest. Yes, it’s very partisan and congress is in gridlock. Yes, it not only favors the two major parties. They prevent any encroachment on their power, even though most people in America think a third party is needed.

Fixing our Political Culture is Possible

His study of culture validates my view. If people can learn that there’s a new way to cope with our political challenges, this new way can be integrated into our culture. Fixing our political culture is possible. Yes, it might be a few years before it spreads to be “the correct way to perceive, think and feel” about politics. But a few years of positive transition would be welcome.

Please join us in trying out this new solution. Please put your email address on our announcement list and we’ll notify you when the site is ready in Spring, 2016.

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