It all started with the BIG question on the table.
What if learning and development professionals thought more like anthropologists?
This Coffee Chat explored what it means to study the culture of our organizations instead of simply observing it from a distance. How do we uncover the stories, rituals, and behaviors that shape it?
We began by exploring the idea of acting as storytellers. We already curate knowledge and connect people to resources, but what if we also helped uncover the stories that show who we are as a company? Culture does not live in a PowerPoint slide about values. It lives in the moments people share, the choices they make, and even the quiet in between.
Several participants reflected on how remote and hybrid work have changed the way we see culture. Without breakroom chatter or hallway check-ins, those unspoken stories are harder to find. Some suggested new ways to listen, like forming engagement committees, or simply asking questions that reveal what is really happening behind the scenes. Others noted that listening also means noticing what is not being said and understanding why.
We shared examples of how learning can reflect culture instead of sitting apart from it. That might mean weaving company values into course content, highlighting real stories from employees, or recognizing behaviors that model the culture we want to build. When culture shows up in learning, it starts to feel real.
Toward the end, the conversation turned practical. How do we help culture grow when budgets are tight and influence feels limited? The group offered creative, low-cost ways to build connection, such as virtual movie clubs, “Be Kind” chats on Teams, cross-department highlights, and even therapy dog visits at the office. Small, human moments like these help people feel part of something bigger, and that is where culture thrives.
Being a workplace anthropologist is not about changing the company overnight. It is about paying attention, capturing stories, and creating spaces where people can connect and be seen. That is how we keep the heart of an organization beating strong.
Stay curious!
-Shannon
Video
Transcript
Transcript Summary
Chatbox
Resources
Workplace Redux: An Anthropological Approach to Today’s Workplace Design by
Melissa Fisher and Hana Kassem
How to Replicate Water Cooler Conversations in Hybrid & Remote Workplaces by Matthew Reeves
What Is Employee Wellbeing? And Why Does It Matter?
Books
Your Wellbeing Blueprint: Feeling Good And Doing Well At Work by Michelle L McQuaid and Dr Peggy L Kern
The Pandemic Workplace: How We Learned to Be Citizens in the Office by Ilana Gershon
Beyond the Workplace Zoo by Nigel Oseland
Cultural Sensitivity Training: Developing the Basis for Effective Intercultural Communication by Susann Kowalski
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Host:
Shannon Tipton
Podcast produced by:
Obsidian Productions
