Yep, we’re still talking about Company Culture, but in the third installment, we are talking about your entry-level, maybe front-line staff, whose experience can range from none to maybe 6 or 7 years, or maybe they never move into a managerial position.

Now, we’re here talking about Company Culture, because we know that there is a “link between happiness and productivity”. Eric Siu tells us in his Entrepreneur article:

“Statistics show that a company’s culture has a direct impact on employee turnover, which affects productivity, and therefore success. A Columbia University study shows that the likelihood of job turnover at an organization with rich company culture is a mere 13.9 percent, whereas the probability of job turnover in poor company cultures is 48.4 percent.

The reason for this is simple: unhappy employees don’t tend to do more than the minimum, great workers who don’t feel appreciated quit, and poor managers negatively affect workers and productivity.”  (source)

But we know this.

So this is not what this article is about, because I know a lot of people who are unhappy at their job do more than the minimum amount, who don’t quit as soon as they should (maybe because of dollar signs), and far too many people let their managers affect them negatively.

You know that a good company culture is better for you, and that you should find it, but there are plenty of articles about that.

We are here is to talk about the reality many people have to live in.

Point One

No one owes you anything.

Don’t think you have to be hazed to get ahead. No one is worrying about your career but you.

Although company culture has a lot to do with your happiness, you have to remember that it shouldn’t have anything to do with the success of your career.

You cannot make rash decisions.

You need to be strategic, even if it feels cut throat, as long as your being ethical, you are good.

If you don’t think other people aren’t being strategic, you are lying to yourself.

How you approach your career will affect how you will treat employees once you become a Manager, Director, Executive or an Entrepreneur or anything further down the line.

The biggest problem is employees are too giving when they are starting off in their career, and when they become a manager they become selfish and unrealistic (and stupid).

Work hard. Be strategic. Be selfish.

So that when you are a manager, one of the most important things you should do, is to help your employees. When you move up, don’t act like it’s the first time you see all of the opportunities and possibilities within your company or the first time you truly understand the landscape of your company. You need to already be looking for those opportunities.

Point Two

Competition is a major culture killer. It happens. Don’t be salty. If you competing for jobs internally or projects, don’t make it weird by being jealous. There are too many reasons people get jobs and others don’t. If you remember every rejection isn’t the end of the world and there will be opportunities. Stay ready and keep pushing forward.

Of course, a micro-manager is the number one culture killer, but how you treat co-workers makes a difference. Praise your co-workers, be genuine, and it will be it reciprocated. And if it isn’t, take note move forward.

I know that it may seem that over simplifying work issues or saying being emotionless, but in the early stages of your career, you do have less control of all the variables. So the things that you can control of, such as your emotions, your work product, your behavior and your mindset…. it is a major Key.

Point Three

Speaking of control, the one thing that can help you determine the culture of a company is in the interview. Before you take a job, ask more questions of the employer when interviewing. It is not enough to be prepared to share what you can offer to the company, business, agency or non-profit. It has to be about what they can offer you. You may be in a pinch and you have to take the first job you can get, but at least be prepared going in. Pay attention to what they say and how they respond to your questions it will least foreshadow what it is to come whether it be 6 months to a year or the first two weeks.

I have had four jobs in four years, I think I have finally found a winner, but after the second job, I was given this advice, and I was like, yeah, whatever. But I didn’t get a job I wanted that I thought was a perfect fit, and in the midst of someone talking to me about the interview, they made me realize the reputation of the organization and the job title was all that was really appealing, but the job itself and the culture, I was completely unaware of.  And guess, SO GLAD, I didn’t get that job.

My latest job is the best fit and I am happy that I had to kiss a lot of frogs to get here. But I want to share with you that people continued to tell me to take a seat and wait my turn. That I am too young and too ambitious.  I did have to wait (but not for long), because I was consistently trying to find the best thing that fit for me until it did.  You don’t have to like the company culture where you are, but get the MOST out of where you are, and put in real effort to get the next opportunity and improve skills until you do.

M/P

You can read more from Jackie-Monroe at missingperspective.com

Also published on Medium.