Culture and tradition can be a good thing. They provide a connection to the past, a basis for understanding and touchpoint for correct behavior. A post by Seth Godin this week brings up the question of what happens when the value of tradition turns into a negative.
As important as culture is, don’t outcast the ones who question it because sometimes things change. GM saw it when they refused to change in the face of shifting consumer sentiment. HP just spun off their computer business because they see a huge change occurring. Look around and make sure that you don’t have preset behaviors that used to be advantageous but are now hurting the business.