Continuing the tradition . . . but why?

Because we've always done it that way . . .

Does what we do and how we do it make sense? Do the workflows and processes within our organizations operate in an efficient and logical manner, or are they a just product of how it’s always been done?

Human beings are creatures of habit. We like to develop routines, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. In fact, the whole concept of “best practices” comes from the philosophy of figuring out how to do something in the “best” and most efficient manner, and sticking with that standardized methodology.

But what about the need to rethink what we do? And what about when the ease and comfort of the routine dulls our perspective/objectivity?

Along those lines, here’s a story about a little girl and the Christmas ham:

A family was celebrating Christmas, together with all of their relatives and friends. In following family tradition, the ritual was to serve ham at the Christmas dinner. In getting ready for that year’s dinner, the family’s mother was in the kitchen preparing the ham for the meal, with her little daughter beside her and wanting to help.

As the little daughter watched, she saw her mother cut off each end of the ham with a knife, discard the two ends, and put the remaining ham in the oven. This prompted the quizzical little girl to ask her mother, “Mommy, why do you cut the ends off the ham before you cook it?”

Working busily, the mother responded to the girl saying, “I’m not sure, but we’ve always done it that way in our family, and that’s the way I learned it from my mother, you know, your grandmother.” Staying focused on her work, the mother said, “But, if you really want to know more, why don’t you go out in the family room and ask grandma why it’s done.”

Diligent and determined to find the answer, the little girl trotted into the family room, tracked down her grandmother. Tugging on her grandmother’s leg, she looked up at her and said, “Grandma, I have a question.

“Sure, honey, what is it?” the grandmother replied.

The little girl then said, "I was watching Mommy getting the ham ready for dinner, and before she put in in the oven she cut the ends off the ham. I asked her why she did that, and she said she didn’t know, but that you would. So, Grandma, why do we do that to the ham?”

The grandmother smiled and looked down at her granddaughter saying, “Yes, that’s way we cook our hams, and that’s the way I was taught by my mother, you know, your great grandmother. I’m not sure why we do it, but it’s a family recipe that been passed down over the years.” The grandmother then pointed to an elderly woman sitting in a chair in the corner of the room, and said to the little girl, “There’s your great grandmother over there. Why don’t you ask her to explain the reason behind it?”

Continuing on her mission, the little girl then walked over to her great grandmother sitting in the rocking chair. The little girl said, “Great Grandma, I have a question for you.” She then went on, “Both my Mommy and Grandma say in our family we cut the ends off the ham before we cook it in the oven. I asked both of them why, but they didn’t know. They said it’s an old family recipe, and that you’d know why. So, Grandma, why do we do we cut off the end of the ham when we cook it?”

The great grandmother rolled her eyes, smiled cynically, and told the little girl, “I don’t have the slightest idea why your mother or your grandmother cut off the ends of the ham before putting it in the oven. But I can tell you that I did it because back then, I lived in an old farmhouse, with a tiny kitchen and very small and narrow oven. I had to cut off the ends, because if I didn’t, the ham wouldn’t fit in my oven.”

The lesson: Traditions are great, but there needs to be a solid and logical reason for why things are done in a certain way. It’s also important to stay vigilant on the relevance and effectiveness of our actions, routines, and processes, especially over time and as natural change occurs.

Bottom line - If we’re not quite sure why something is done a certain way, we shouldn’t be shy. It might be worth our time and effort to figure it out and/or ask someone. By the way, the answer might surprise us.