Imagine that you’ve been offered two different positions and you have to decide which one you want. Or perhaps you’re already in a good job, but something that seems to be a better opportunity comes up in another company.
This was the situation with a financial services professional client. She could stay in her present position, relocate to another business unit or take an overseas assignment with an international business.
Having options is great: What a wonderful confidence booster! However, there’s also a lot of pressure trying to decide which option is best.
One of the most important factors, according to Harvard Business Review Blog, is that “culture matters”. It’s not uncommon for people to enter a company or business unit without understanding the culture and come away disappointed. Some places will excite you. They’ll stimulate your success and growth. Others will be stressful. They may lead you to quit before you’ve accomplished much.
When considering a new position or new company be sure to investigate the culture – how they operate before making the leap. So try to discover before, during and after the interviews:
- What do they say is important (customer service, teamwork, innovation, etc.) and do they walk the talk?
- What’s more critical- getting in on time or getting the work done no matter how long it takes?
- Are decisions made unilaterally, by whoever shouts the loudest or by consensus?
- What behaviors are rewarded and which ones may get you in the dog house?
- Do they value teamwork over the lone ranger or the other way around?
- What groups or functions or people have the most clout?
How Do I Discover This?
Do your due diligence by networking, social media and talking to people who can give you insight into the workings of the organization - some in the company, some who have left the company and even competitors and vendors. It’s important to speak with folks who aren’t involved in your recruiting process.
As an external business coach, it’s very important for me to have an accurate picture of the situation I’m walking into. Here are two examples how I’ve discovered what’s going on.
In one company it was with a friendly receptionist whom I got to know while waiting to go into meetings. We traded vacation plans and other experiences. At another, it was with a shift foreman giving me a tour of several facilities at the plant. I learned things that headquarters was not aware of. In most organizations, the front line knows quite a bit about what’s going well and what’s not.
Decision Time
Once you have some understanding of how the potential employer operates, you’ll need to consider how well that matches your goals, your values, your style and other things that are important to you. Realize that you won’t have a complete picture but it’s better to have some knowledge than to go into a new situation blind.
Yes it takes time to dig in and find these contacts and to get the good, bad and ugly information out on the table. But by accepting a position that is not a good fit and only realizing it 4-6 months later is time and opportunity lost for you and the company.
Smart Moves Tip:
Many times one gets caught up in the title and the pay that the position brings and how that looks on a resume. The down fall is you may lose sight of your personal and professional goals as well as what brings you career satisfaction. Though compensation, benefits, titles are important and should be weighed out in the decision process, culture has to be as important for long term success.
What are some of your culture stories? Did you discover before or after you took the position that it was a good fit? A bad fit? Share with other readers.
What YOU do today will directly influence your career in 3, 5 or 10 years.
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Copyright © 2012 Marcia Zidle - the Actualizer – career strategist and leadership coach.
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