An Organizational Culture Parable

Long ago in the land of Metallasso[1] two industrious and hard working brothers set off from the secure home of their father and mother to make their way in the world. Thad and Chad were equal in every respect. They were of the same size, strength, and intelligence.  They shared a common upbringing. They both possessed the values and work ethic of their parents. Along the journey they came upon a fork in the road and took their leave of one another. Thad ventured down the road to the East. Chad chose the road leading West. Thad eventually settled in the Eastern kingdom of Douloo[2] to make his living. To the West, Chad settled in the province of Exousia.[3]

Ten years later we find Thad living a life of frustration in Douloo. His zeal for hard work has given way to apathy. The joy of enterprise he once held has now become a drudgery of tasks to be performed in order to sustain his living. Meanwhile, in Exousia, Chad’s zest for life has increased. He wakes up every morning eager to join fellow workers in their daily tasks. He has been inspired toward greater creativity and has been aptly rewarded for his diligence. What has made such a stark difference in the dispositions of these two workers who began with an equal expectation of promise? The answer lies in the societies each of them became citizens of—the organizations they became members of—the companies they became employees of.

In this little parable I have given meaningful Greek names to the places where these two brothers lived. Metallasso is a word meaning change. Their story begins with change as many of our own stories do. As we travel the road of our own lives we will experience much change—new places, new experiences, new environments, new challenges. Some change may be hard for us yet good for our own growth and maturity. Some change is entirely intolerable and should not be settled for. The brothers in the story above were leaving the home of their upbringing to find dwellings of their own. Thad settled in Douloo, meaning bondage and servitude. Chad found his place in Exousia, meaning freedom of action, empowerment. The cultures they became a part of made an enormous difference in the fulfillment they found in life.

As leaders, what type of culture have we fostered in the organizations we lead? Do the members of your company feel like servants who are dictated to and are just there to do the work with little or no input of their own? Does your organization value your members and empower them to act and to be creative? What is the culture of your business? What would you like for it to be?       

As illustrated in the story of Thad and Chad, environments that foster individual freedoms and creativity toward a common shared purpose fare far better than hierarchal systems that tend to merely use employees rather than value them. As leaders we have much say so in whether we create a domain of Douloo or a community of Exousia. If you find yourself as Thad in a place of unfulfilling drudgery and you are not in a position to effect significant change, perhaps it’s time to exercise your freedom to travel down a different road. We still live in a free America so you are at liberty to choose.

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[1] metallasso:  Greek— from meta, “implying change” and allasso, “to make other than it is,” “to transform, change,” “to change one thing for another, or into another,” change.

(from Vine's Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words, Copyright © 1985, Thomas Nelson Publishers.)    

[2] douloo:  Greek— “to make a slave of, to bring into bondage,” to be denied freedom or liberty – servitude.

                (ibid.)

[3] exousia:  Greek— “freedom of action, right to act,” “authority,” empowerment

                (ibid.)