Strength lies in differences, not in similarities.
Stephen Covey – Writer
Culture and guiding principles are important to VUCANs who work at LinkedIn, Apple, Google, and Nike because they communicate pride and enthusiasm with memorable tag lines. For example, Linkedin’s vision statement is to ‘Create economic opportunity for every member of the global workforce’. Mission statements convey to employees their companies’ caring and excellence.
A number of companies focus on ethics and meaningful work. SpaceX and Tesla, both founded by Elon Musk, stress the importance of doing life-changing and life-rewarding work. SpaceX is a commercial space venture. Tesla is an electric automotive manufacturer.
Companies are also competing to be family friendly, encourage empowered employees, and respect the dignity of all. Values, culture, identity, principles and ethics are organizational core competencies for success. Organizational core values include respecting individual dignity, integrity, and honesty. Core values are ingrained in the way VUCANs act and think. Values then establish direction, guide employees in the right course of action, define challenges, and point to preferred FOW paths.
Kickstarter is a notable company pursuing a higher purpose. The founders decided the crowdsourcing company had met its goals and was making sufficient money. All good. What was the next step? The company rebranded into a Public Benefit Corporation and would focus on the public good instead of going public. The company promised to have an equal number of male and female employees, executive pay less than five times the salary of the average employee, and diversity would be stressed.
Work Lesson Earned: Eighty two percent of employees believe their organization should have a vision and purpose. The problem is only 42 percent believe their company’s vision and mission statements are real.76 Big problem!
An organizational culture can empower or kill your career. If you understand and reinforce your customer’s or employer’s culture, then there’s a higher chance you’ll excel. If there’s a conflict between your values and those of your employer, deal with it or leave. Leaving a company any time is extremely difficult if you have financial obligations.
One of the keys to maintaining work sanity is to understand your employer’s culture or customer’s values. Are your company’s or employer’s cultural buzzwords reality based? It’s important you check these out before moving to a new organization. Ask the hard questions.
Can you live with the differences between you and your employer? If not, what are the risks and benefits of moving? What are the risks and benefits of staying? Got thoughts?