A behavioral pattern is a recurring way of acting, shaped by the norms of a particular culture. It appears repeatedly rather than as a one-time event and can be constructive or harmful. section 5.1.1
Blame becomes standard practice
A developer who had never experienced prolonged arguments elsewhere began blaming colleagues after joining BigScreen. The behavior was learned from the organization’s established norms. By contrast, Caelan’s weekly one-on-one conversations created a beneficial pattern of communication and support. section 5.1.1
Facilitators detect patterns by observing interactions, communication channels, group culture, subcultures, roles, movement, and cultural artifacts. The heuristic “this is how we do it here” often signals a culture-specific pattern. section 5.1.1 section 5.2.2
Use behavioral patterns as observations rather than immediate judgments:
- Record a repeated behavior and count how often it occurs. section 8.4
- Review the record for assumptions, interpretations, and judgments that may have entered the observation. section 8.4
- Discuss difficult behavior one-on-one, share its impact, ask how the other person sees it, and avoid unsolicited advice. section 8.4
Figure 5.2 A fractal triangle pattern. This triangle is repetitive at every scale. The big triangle comprises three smaller triangles. Those smaller triangles comprise three even smaller triangles. You’ll find fractal patterns also in companies. Patterns exhibited by higher management will be observable on lower levels of the company.
A fractal triangle illustrates how patterns can repeat across scales; organizational behaviors may similarly appear at multiple levels. section 5.1.1
