Fit Into the Organization 15: Study Corporate Culture

This continues our series on how fitting in helps you get the biggest raises and better jobs

Clare was one of the great mentors, workers, and leaders I’ve ever had the privilege to know. He had been blessed to have been the protégé of one of the great leaders in the world. He shared his knowledge with others graciously and freely. He excelled at discerning and fitting into corporate cultures. As a result of fitting into the culture, he grew and expanded every department and division he directed. He was a master seed planter. He would plant an idea in someone’s mind and let the idea mature and grow within them to the point they championed the idea as if it were their own.

Learn What You Can

Our final recommendation for fitting into the organization includes learn what you can about the culture of each organization in which you work. In the first post of this series, we discussed identifying and fitting into the specific culture of your organization.

In this post we refer to studying the concept of culture. The more you understand the concepts of corporate culture, the better you fit in. We suggest you read one item a month and attend one seminar a year to understand culture better.

Sources of Information

You can study corporate culture from a variety of sources: articles, books, consulting firms, and more.

• The following publications and web sites discuss interesting tips about corporate culture
  • Entrepreneur magazine
  • Inc. magazine
  • The Conference Board
  • McKinsey & Company
  • The Ladders
  • Monster Board
  • About.com
  • Corporate Culture Consulting
  • World Business Culture
  • Forbes
• You may also enjoy the following books about corporate culture
  • Organizational Culture and Leadership by Edgar Schein
  • Good to Great by Jim Collins
  • The Clayton Christensen Innovation Collection by Clayton Christensen
  • Who Moved My Cheese by Ken Blanchard
  • Our Iceberg is Melting by John Kotter
  • The Anatomy of Peace by The Arbinger Group
  • The Carrot Principle by Adrian Gostick and Chester Elton
  • Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson

Monday we conclude our series on fitting into the organization with tips to tie it all together

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