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How can I assess my corporate culture?
Home » Management » Organizational Development - Understanding Corporate Cultures » How can I assess my corporate culture?Imagine that you were asked to describe your organization to an outsider. How would you answer the following questions?
* What 10 words describe your company?
* What’s really important around here?
* Who gets promoted?
* What behaviors are rewarded?
* Who fits in and who doesn’t?
* What’s it really like to work here?
Another important way to gauge culture is to look to your senior management team. What management pays attention to and rewards is often the strongest indicator of corporate culture. Here are some more questions to consider:
* Does management promote or discourage innovation and risk taking?
* Does it reward employees for coming up with new ideas and challenging old ways of doing things or punish them?
* Do noconformists fit in or do they get pushed out?
* Is change normal in your company or do managers protect the status quo?
* Does the company truly value excellence or do they simply focus on shipping product?
* Do managers pay attention to employees’ well-being or do they focus solely on performance and profits?
* Do employees participate actively in the direction of the company or does senior management make most decisions?
Use these questions to get an initial idea of your corporate culture, but keep in mind that the closer you are to an organization and the longer you’ve been around, the more blind you may be to cultural realities. In many cases, an assessment by an outside consultant may give you the most accurate picture.
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