Two fish are in a pond, when a third fish comes swimming by. In passing he shouts out, “Morning boys! How’s the water?” The two fish watch him swim away, then look at each other with a confused stare. Finally, one says to the other, “What the heck is water?”

Too often, we display this same lack of awareness. It’s natural. We’re oblivious to the water we’re swimming in. New employees point out the toxic nature in our workplace, and we shrug because that’s just how it is. “What the heck is water?”

When you realize what you’re swimming in, what changes? Usually it’s not the water, it’s you. Awareness brings a sense of agency, which creates opportunities.

In Finding Nemo, Dori hums a tune of “Just keep swimming. Just keep swimming.” When we will benefit from persistence, it works to just keep swimming. But what happens when the status quo is no longer enough?

Most of the time, we have a choice regarding the water we swim in. A choice to stay longer. A choice to swim with the flow. Or an intentional choice to make a change.
Morning boys! How’s the culture?