Organizational culture matters. “Fit” is as important to your success as your skills, education, and experience.
Starting at the age of 22, and for the next 13 years, I had the good fortune of working for a young CEO who immersed himself in the art of managing people. And, boy, was he good at it. I’m pretty sure his success was a result of good self-management. When he spoke, he always came from a position of credibility.
He loved to educate himself and then share what he learned with his staff. We were expected to do a lot of personal and professional development. For a young woman who was struggling with her identity, introspection was scary and painful. My initial reluctance was met with a kind of tough love. “You need to work on yourself,” was the message. It wasn't easy, but I did it. I’m a better person for it, too; thanks to that young CEO.
Of the many things I learned about myself and about working with other people, the most important lesson was about the standard of behavior of the organization itself. It is a maxim that defined me as a professional, and one that this young CEO created and still embodies today. It is what you can count on from the organization when he is at the helm: “integrity, fairness, and fun”.
- Integrity woven through all internal and external business activities and relationships
- Fairness and impartiality applied to all people at all levels of operation
- Fun – “work” does not have to be a four-letter word
This simple, yet powerful philosophy provided an even playing field, or as close to an even playing field as human nature could allow.
Fast-forward several more years into my career. I’d had a lifetime of experience and accumulated knowledge. I’d learned a lot more about myself and was comfortable with the woman I’d become. I was working in a different organization and had just started working for a new boss, a/k/a "The Manager".
I never knew how "The Manager" felt about himself, or the people with whom he worked, only how he felt about the tasks at hand. He was impersonal, moody, and curt. A void in the manager-employee relationship was opened, and my expectations for how it should be filled had been set many years before by my experience working for that young CEO.
How did the latter situation compare? I’d call it a culture clash of extreme proportions.
Integrity? "The Manager" once copied text from a competitor’s web site and tried to pass it off as his own work. Fairness? I once received a full-page disciplinary email message, followed by a half-hour long phone discussion on my inappropriate use of the word “anxious”, instead of “eager”, in a broadcast email. Fun on the job? No. “That’s why they call it ‘work’,” was a common quote.
This was a situation for which there was no easy solution. My attitude suffered, my work suffered. I was miserable. Don’t let this happen to you.
The young CEO created a culture that made his staff feel important and valued. He knew that doing this not only benefited the employees, but would also generate their loyalty and commitment. "The Manager" didn't care about the staff, only the work. He did not generate loyalty or commitment, but bred contempt and suspicion.
All things being equal, as I look for the next position in my career, I know I will be more successful working in an environment like the one created by the young CEO, than in a culture-void like the one created by "The Manager". As you look for your next opportunity, be sure you know in what type of working environment you fit best.
Here’s today’s Sign Post:
Organizational culture matters. “Fit” is as important to your success as your skills, education, and experience.
When you are considering a new position, be sure that you include research into the culture of the company, division, department, team or group – depending on the size of the unit – in which you will be working. Know, as best you can, what type of working environment you will be entering.
For more ideas, here’s a great article from the HBR.com Blog Network about the importance of organizational culture in your job search and in your success on the job: "When Choosing a Job, Culture Matters", by Bill Arnett.
What are your thoughts on the importance of organizational culture?
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