Dreams as a Cultural Compass

Measuring Workplace Dynamics Through Nighttime Narratives

Dreams reveal hidden shared experiences

Discussing sleep at work has become the norm, especially with the growing awareness of its impact on productivity and health. The popularity of Mathew Walker’s Why We Sleep reflects this mainstream acceptance. However, while sharing sleep routines is encouraged, dreams are far too often ignored.

Dreams, though, hold crucial insights into our workplace dynamics. They reveal much more than just personal fears and desires. Because our dreams are bizarre, we assume they are unique. But people who spend time together have remarkably similar ones. Dreams reflect not only our own fears and desires, but those of our community.

Work-related dreams offer unique insights

Work permeates our dreams—often affecting up to 20% of our dream content. These night-time narratives provide valuable insights into the organization's culture. When employees dream about work, it often mirrors their experiences and feelings. It offers a unique window into the professional environment. In many cases, dreams provide insights that the employee themselves might not even yet be consciously aware of.

“The dreamer can recognize deep down, what the system is really like.” — Bruno Bettelheim

In Oracle of the Night, Sidarto Ribeiro recounts the dream of a 28-year-old professional women. She had spent some time studying and exploring new ideas. She was preparing to return to her regular job. She dreamt she had gone back to middle-school. In the dream she was resentful that she had to wear a uniform instead of her preferred golden sneakers.

Her unconscious mind succinctly summarized the suffocating conformity of her work culture, revealing what might not be captured through conventional employee surveys or feedback mechanisms. By engaging with dreams, organizations can gain a deeper understanding of their employees' true experiences and concerns.

Dreams uncover organizational culture issues

Dreams offer a direct and unfiltered view of the workplace environment. They provide a candid reflection of employees’ emotional and psychological states, potentially identifying issues before they are identified through standard HR metrics.

“In the act of going to sleep we undress not only physically but psychically as well. When our brain gets a signal to start dreaming, there we are in our emotional nudity.” — Montague Ullman

For instance, gender equality in careers was set back by the pandemic. With the family trapped in the house all day, women took on the extra burden of childcare. If HR had been considering the rich data source provided by dreams, the challenge would have been identified and addressed sooner. Women had almost twice as many sad or angry dreams. They had regular anxiety dreams about home-schooling. The emotion of men’s dreams didn’t change.

To truly understand and improve your workplace culture, leaders must recognize the value of dreams. These often-overlooked reflections offer deep insights into employees’ unconscious minds. By incorporating dream-sharing into organizational practices, it is possible to uncover hidden dynamics, solve underlying challenges, and create a more responsive and supportive environment.