an interview with Judd Allen

by Donald B. Ardell, Ph. D.

Judd Allen, Ph.D. lives in Burlington, Vermont. Judd teaches at Nebraska Methodist College, serves as an editor of the American Journal of Health Promotion and is President of the Human Resources Institute, Inc. His works can be found on the web at www.healthyculture.com, www.wellnessmentor.net and www.knowingtree.net . His e-mail address is Info@healthyculture.com Phone: (802) 862-8855.

Don: Our viewers should know that your Dad and I were good friends, that he was a pioneer in the wellness movement and that you are continuing and richly expanding the work that he began in the area of creating supportive cultural environments. I have often noted that he would be mighty proud of you. At the Megaperformers event, you said culture is essential to individual and organizational effectiveness and that the climate needed for optimal performance should enable a shared vision, a sense of community, and a positive outlook. All that seems self-evident to me. How can an individual or a manager know if the KIND of culture he or she is a part of is or is not conducive to self-management and other qualities of wellness?

Judd: Thanks for your comments about my dad, Robert F. Allen. He was a big proponent of empowering people to examine and change dysfunctional cultural norms. My dad could often see norms as a trained outsider that had become invisible to the members of a culture. For example, my dad might determine that a company lacked effective communication norms (e.g., it was normal not to bring up problems until they became crisis). He would develop a paper-and-pencil survey, called a norm indicator, to assess peoples' perceptions of existing and desired cultural norms. He would also conduct interviews and field experiments to determine those cultural forces (such as modeling, rewards, training) that supported undesirable cultural norms. These would be the focus of the culture change process.

Towards the end of his life, my dad and I had an opportunity to conduct a retrospective study of many culture change programs. We found that a sense of community, a shared vision, and a positive outlook largely determine whether individuals and groups can bring about desired change. Since my dad's death, I have developed a simple 16 item survey that assesses the three climate factors. The survey includes questions like, "To what extent do people get to know one another?" The survey is available on our website at www.healthyculture.com. We have found it to be an extremely reliable and valid measure of the culture's capacity to support optimal performance.

Don: What are the characteristics of healthy and productive cultures, and can such cultures exist without stifling personal freedoms? I have had the impression from listening to your presentations that you favor a lot of governmental programming in the form of entitlements, quotas, and other safeguards that favor the down and out but which neglect personal responsibility and function to constrain free markets. Is this a fair assessment? Can we have maximum personal liberties AND healthy cultures?

Judd: It is true that many groups and organizations inhibit individual performance. These dysfunctional cultures repress creativity and frequently perpetuate the very conditions they were created to eliminate. Having worked in both the private and public sectors, I can say that both types of settings can threaten personal freedom and performance. I feel that the solution is not with the elimination of organizations and government, but rather in improving the underlying cultures. I would prefer that government have responsibility for health care, education, public safety, and care for the environment. I feel that it is necessary for these parts of the economy to be under the control of elected officials. And, I believe that only government has adequate power to assure that there are adequate resources to fully fund programs for these basic human needs.

Don: I know you are always developing new products to promote your ideas about supportive cultures, including books and videos and, most recently, a software network called "KnowingTree." Tell me how the use of technology can be used to foster a sense of community and for sharing knowledge.

Judd: Once in a long while, you may be lucky enough to come up with a great idea that holds potential for making the world a better place. I have that sort of feeling about our new KnowingTree Internet software. The software uses answers to an online questionnaire to create a listing page for each participant. The resulting password-protected database is a powerful tool for nurturing a sense of community and for sharing knowledge. By using their web browsers to view and search a KnowingTree, people learn about the best ideas, strategies and resources for personal and organizational success. We are building KnowingTrees for workplaces, associations, schools, religious organizations, customer groups, support groups, residential settings, conferences, wellness programs, fitness facilities, and almost any other group you can imagine. We even have a version for family and friends.

Don: Are you an optimist or pessimist or something in between in terms of the chances for a healthier, more responsible population in the years to come? What are the key variables that will make a difference, for better or worse?

Judd: Unfortunately, our current culture exclusively emphasizes individual initiative without attending to the need for supportive environments. Tragically, such a halfway solution often leads to frustration and lowered self-esteem. High lifestyle change failure rates (currently at 80%) result in an abandonment of many positive lifestyle goals. I am hopeful that we will raise success rates to 80+% through the creation of supportive cultures. I believe that if we are creative, systematic and work collaboratively, we can make lasting and positive cultural change. Such a change in culture will make it far more likely that people will be able to achieve their goals for health and productivity.

Don: Any specific advice, parting words of wisdom or tips for visitors to SeekWellness?

Judd: Find or build a wellness subculture to support your desired lifestyle. Jump-start your efforts by experiencing such a culture. A wellness culture can be found at the National Wellness Conference each July. In addition, the recently formed Mega Performers Conference is another great opportunity to experience a wellness culture.

Those interested in learning more about culture change are encouraged to visit www.healthyculture.com, www.wellnessmentor.net and www.knowingtree.net

January 2001