You are a complete alien in a whole new world until you fully understand the culture of your office and learn how to assimilate to your new environment. If you are truly to succeed at work, your mission is to figure out how to stand out while you are fitting in. Corporate culture determines how you behave in the office. If you don’t fit in, you’re O-U-T.
CORPORATE CULTURE
Corporate culture is a strategic branding of that company. The company will have a shared vision, public appearance and expectations of their employees from dress code, office hours, social activities for employees and productivity of work. These types of standards will attract a specific type of employee to work at that company.
LEADERSHIP
It’s crucial that leaders of any company create a culture that works for the leaders to succeed and set standards to enable employees to thrive both as individuals and contributors for successful business. Depending on what the company vision is, this type of culture will allow employees to collaborate and innovate or just execute the company strategies. Having transparency with employees on the corporate culture will generate trust one way or the other. If the employees like the corporate culture, employees will want to stay and grow with the company.
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR YOU?
Corporate culture is not just what a company says about its environment. It’s the ecosystem of the day-to-day reality and how you behave within the environment. When it comes to Office Politics, you have to sweat the small stuff. Conquering the details of how a company runs will allow an employee to decide if that company structure works for them or not. The devil is in the details, and those are set by the leaders of the company.
SOME THINGS TO RECOGNIZE AND ADAPT TO:
- You’re an alien on a new planet called xyz company! Pretend you just landed on a new planet and take notes.
- Don’t Judge! (Barbara giving unwelcomed suggestions to her coworkers)
- Be Aware of “Office Time Zones” (When do the leaders show up to work and leave?)
- “Check Out the Clothing Climate” (What do the leaders wear? – Follow their lead)
- Check Your Mess
- Is everyone else’s desk in tidy order while yours is a mess?
- Look at the Décor
- If you are in a place where there are expensive framed Belle Epoque artwork on the walls, then you’re probably in a place where a ‘cultured’ image counts…
- Do executives have pictures of their kids on their desk? If so, you can too.
- Observe How and Where Communication Takes Place
- Office Gossip: it can work for you! (Pass on only good news)
- Where to Socialize (What’s the spot where people gather? Join in for short times)
- Use the language of the office. i.e. “Adopt the Lingo, Lois”
- Follow the Leaders. Do what they do in terms of language, dress, organization and humor!
- Changes in Corporate Climate; it changes, you adapt
I’m here to help! Reach out to me.
Jocelyn Greenky | JocelynGreenky.com
Office Culture and Politics Expert
Author | Producer | Speaker
www.JocelynGreenky.com
@JocelynGreenky
info@siderroad.com