Week of June 7th- corporate Culture

[andream]

Corporate culture, it's a buzz word these days to talk about your corporate culture.  But what does that really mean? How would you describe your corporate culture? And what impact does that culture have on your ability to do your job?

do tell...
Andrea

[gee4]

Difficult one since I am only with my company 9 months.  However while they have a professional attitude, everyone works together as a team, and there is also a happy atmosphere/environment.  I think this is why I prefer to work for a global company rather than a smaller organisation.

G

[beaintheuk]

What I hate about corporate culture is all the politics that there can be.  I am stopping from being too pro-active in this job because it backfires on me!!  When I tried, my boss said, 'oh you should have discussed this with me before replying' etc.  I found this very fustrating at first but then I have no choice so I have to run everything through my boss, and sometimes things that I could act on can linger only because I can't get hold of him....

Apart from that the atmosphere is 'okay'.  There are little groups and some people are right down miserable, never saying hello, etc.  

Sorry, I feel like I am moaning now!!!

Bea

[tuxcat]

I work for a religious institution, not a company, but there is definitely a "culture" there!  Many of the staff have been there for many years, and are very resistant to change/new ideas.  I'm constantly amazed by the number of staff who have no idea of the power of their PCs - preferring to do layouts literally by cutting and pasting, not using Outlook to arrange meetings but preferring to make twenty phonecalls only to have to start over again ..... For someone from the private sector like me, where time saved is money saved, these all come as second nature.

Fortuantely bossie is much of the same mindset as me - I don't think I could cope with one who kept his diary as close to his chest as other staff I could mention!

I can well relate to "cliques" - there are a fair few of those, particularly in the main building.  Luckily I'm in my own office some way away from the main building, so I can get on with life in my own sweet way, and bossie is supportive of that.  In our old office (sole inhabitants of one building) we did refer to ourselves as "The People's Republic"!

[gee4]

Just a further note on my posting - there are cliques in all companies and you just have to either avoid them or deal with them in the best way you can eg. on a professional level.  The clique in my company are part of my bosses management team - I used to call them Charlie's Angels - now we call them the Witches of Eastwick - I shall say no more!

G

[bethalize]

Bea, I hear ya!

Do you know, I've had the words 'very professional' used on me, almost as an insult!

The thing I hate most is when people won't listen to you. Okay, we can't be right all the time, but sometimes we _are_ right. How do these people know when they don't listen? Or worse, they listen and they don't understand and they don't ask for clarification.

I know that you can say something and it takes three months for it to become accepted fact - even when people disagree with you in the beginning.   However, this place it takes at least six months!

Bethalize
Peer Moderator

[sburks]

I am temping as I search for a permanent position and have gotten a glimpse of several corporate cultures that really have enlightened me.  I had come from a culture where "rush - I need it now" was common, and respect was not always there on a consistent basis.  I made a very hard job seem easy and seamless.  The admin was expected to do as told and not think.  Admins were taken for granted, even when going above and beyond the call of duty.  I've been interviewing with several companies and have seen and heard a lot about different companies.  Companies and employees should share a common belief that they are fortunate to have each other and respect the contribution everyone makes to their common company goal.