Wisdom from the North

SHAKING THE TREE #63

Photo by Ophélie Authier on Unsplash

While doing research into my family history over the last few years, I’ve discovered a few distant roots in Scandinavia, including a handful of distant relations from Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland … all of which I find quite thrilling.

This got me thinking recently about the wisdom of my ancestors.

As luck would have it, Scandinavia boasts several philosophies and cultural principles that offer valuable insights applicable to various aspects of life, including business and organizational management.

Now then, who would have thought it?

Which brings me to this post, elements of which will be, I hope, of interest.

First up is the idea of lagom from Sweden, a concept that embodies the idea of moderation and balance.

Applied to business, lagom encourages a balanced approach to decision-making, resource allocation, and work-life balance.

It emphasizes avoiding extremes and finding a middle ground, which can lead to sustainable practices and a more harmonious workplace culture.

Then we have hygge from Denmark, which represents a Danish notion centered on coziness, contentment, and well-being.

In a business context, integrating hygge involves creating a comfortable and inviting work environment that fosters a sense of camaraderie and belonging among employees.

It emphasizes the importance of creating a positive atmosphere and nurturing relationships within the workplace.

Back to Sweden now we come to fika, a tradition that involves taking a break, usually for coffee and pastries, to socialize and connect with colleagues.

Embracing the fika culture in business promotes informal interactions, enhances teamwork, and encourages open communication among employees.

It can foster creativity, collaboration, and a sense of community within the workplace.

From Denmark/Norway we have Janteloven, or the Law of Jante, which emphasizes modesty, equality, and community over individualism.

In a business context, this philosophy promotes humility, teamwork, and a focus on collective success rather than individual achievements.

It encourages collaboration and a supportive environment where everyone's contributions are valued equally.

From Norway/Sweden we have friluftsliv a concept celebrating the connection to nature and the outdoors.

In business, embracing friluftsliv can involve incorporating nature-inspired elements into the workplace, promoting outdoor activities or team-building exercises, which can enhance employee well-being, creativity, and overall productivity.

Unlike so much of the mindfuckery and asshattery we find in North American culture, Nordic leadership styles emphasize a participative, egalitarian, and consensus-driven approach.

Leaders in Scandinavian cultures often seek input from employees (imagine that!), and they (shockingly) value collaboration, and create inclusive decision-making processes (heresy!).

This kind of leadership style fosters trust, encourages innovation, and supports a more democratic work environment and may well explain why employees generally in Scandinavian companies are happier, calmer, and more content with life (no doubt equal access to housing, education, and universal healthcare play a part in this too, but don’t come here with your democratic socialism).

These philosophies from Scandinavia promote values like balance, community, well-being, and inclusivity.

When integrated into business practices, they do a lot to contribute to a positive work culture, improved employee satisfaction, enhanced teamwork, and ultimately, greater success and productivity within organizations.

How about those for ideas?

All of which has me wondering now about the longer term importance of getting busy with my Irish citizenship.

As always, thanks for reading.

Feel free to follow me on Twitter and LinkedIn

If you’ve like what you’ve seen here, why not share this post with a friend?

P.S. Next time on Shaking the Tree … What to write about when you have nothing to write about