Who Owns Culture? | Abi Adamson | TEDxUnity Park

Quick Overview

Abi Adamson argues that culture should be viewed as a shared ecosystem rather than owned property, urging a shift away from enforcing cultural conformity in workplaces and society to foster true innovation and belonging. She emphasizes that when culture is treated as something to be possessed or strictly controlled, it leads to division and exhaustion, whereas actively cultivating diverse contributions results in richer meaning and growth.

Key Points: The speaker, Abi Adamson, grew up in multicultural West London during the mid-1990s, where she observed that diverse skin tones and backgrounds danced shoulder-to-shoulder, suggesting inherent unity. Adamson recalls feeling like an 'abidemi' (someone forgotten) and being told she was 'biddy' (difficult) for not fitting in, leading to rejections based on cultural fit rather than merit. She critiques the common workplace approach where culture is treated as exclusive property or a rulebook, leading to conformity, exhaustion, and employees having to 'check boxes' to feel accepted. Adamson cites examples like Pixar and Spotify, noting that successful, globally scaled entities cultivate culture jams and welcome diverse perspectives rather than imposing a singular corporate culture (like Swedish corporate culture in Spotify's case). The core argument is that true cultural success involves moving from imposed culture to a cultivated culture, where vulnerability is embraced, and disagreement is managed through honest conversation rather than control. She concludes by challenging the audience to reimagine success by measuring culture by how well it welcomes diverse inputs and fosters growth, rather than adherence to established norms.

Context: Abi Adamson delivers a TEDx talk titled 'Momentum' at TEDxUnityPark, reflecting on her childhood experiences growing up in multicultural West London during the mid-1990s. She recounts feeling like an outsider and facing rejection in professional settings due to perceived lack of 'cultural fit,' which spurred her lifelong mission to change how organizations approach culture.