Feedback and forward during the fourth community dinner
Collaborating on and in a relaxed working environment, where learning, innovating and excelling are paramount. A wonderful goal, but how do we achieve it for everyone? On 2 April, the fourth community dinner took place. Students and staff came together to share a meal, meet each other and discuss culture building, power and culture change.
During dinner, guests examined the current culture within TU Delft in general and at the Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment in particular. They addressed questions such as: What is actually 'normal' with us? To what extent do we discuss this with each other? For whom does the current situation work well, and for whom less so?
The evening began at ground level, where guests were presented with a number of issues which illuminated how biased we are by our culture. What we consider 'normal' is largely determined by our environment. But that prevailing norm does not always suit everyone.
The focus then shifted to the organisational culture within our faculty. We discussed the extent to which we could be ourselves. What is needed within a healthy and resilient working environment, and the extent to which those conditions are present at BK.
During the presentation and discussions, more and more underlying mechanisms became apparent through which power and rank affect how we consult with each other and decisions are made. We learned that it is a natural phenomenon that the way you communicate changes when you gain more power. And on the other hand, that the way you are approached by the organisation also becomes more distant. In other words; 'it is lonely at the top' can be taken quite literally.
Becoming aware and understanding such mechanisms may be a first step to initiate culture change. Hopefully, more will follow!
More information
Are you interested in joining and/or helping out at a future dinner? Send an email to: Communityofficer-BK@tudelft.nl.
This dinner was organised by Cecile Calis (BK Community Officer), Dorothee Colijn (head of HR), Frits de Kleine (lecturer at BK and architect), Maryam Naghibi (postdoctoral researcher at BK) and Anna Serysheva (master's student at BK).
The dinner was facilitated by Christien Oudshoorn of Human Dimensions. Christien has a background in Intercultural Communication and specialises in the themes of power and culture formation, inclusion, diversity and equality.