Understand the culture of the new company (with which you are joining or negotiating) and its standards of what is reasonable.
James Nunan, Business person
I spend a lot of time talking about ‘getting it.’ ‘Getting it’ often means understanding your organization’s or customer’s culture and work rules. I’m an engineer, who often simply didn’t ‘get it’ for many years. Maybe, it’s a ‘left brain’ or ‘right brain’ thing. Maybe, it’s a ‘IQ (intelligent quotient) or ‘EQ (emotional quotient) thing. I don’t know. What I do know after many years of trying to ‘get it’ and trying different things, I can say that culture is real and those who seem to flow with it do much better than those who don’t.
Organizational culture is a matter of attitude. It may be a commitment to listening to customers, designing robust products, manufacturing quality products, or delivering cheerful service. A strong organizational culture also develops its own belief systems and language. A culture creates a sense of identity and makes people feel special. Everyone pulling together in the same direction to achieve a common goal engenders organizational unity and strength.
Organizational culture and personal values should be aligned. Personal values and morals are the foundations by which organizations and people make choices – where we work, what jobs we do, how we balance family and work, and so on. As values become more important, organizations recognize they must listen to these concerns or lose valuable employees, the source of new ideas.
Life Lesson Earned: Pay attention to the actions of those who you work with more than their words. If the organizational culture jangles you, then deal with it or it’ll kill your career. For example, if a culture is ‘dog-eat-dog’ competitive and your style is collaborative, you’ll become frustrated and eventually leave the organization. Cultural alignment can make or break a career. Learn, adapt, and adopt the culture of your organization. If you don’t, it’ll kill your job and maybe sideline your career.