Learning about the culture of the organization where you work or want to work is important. Understanding the company's culture can help you navigate your team through a project. Consider this quote from Peter Drucker, a management expert: "Culture eats strategy for breakfast." Drucker implies that a company's culture always influences its success, regardless of how effective its business model may be. Organizational culture is critical to the health of a company, the people who work there, and the customers it serves.
The importance of organizational culture
- Identity: An organization's culture defines its identity. Its identity describes how the company conducts business internally and externally. A company's values and organizational culture go hand-in-hand; its values are part of its identity. An organization's culture can be seen as its personality. Learning your company's (or target company's) mission and value statements is essential. The mission and value statements will help you understand why the company exists and give you insight into what it believes in and how it will behave.
- People: A strong, positive organizational culture helps retain a company's best employees. People who feel valued, engaged, and challenged are more likely to give their best and want to drive for success. An organization's culture can help keep talented employees and attract great people! On the other hand, a toxic culture can have the opposite effect. Finding an organization with a culture that fits your personality is essential. One way to learn more about an organization's culture is to talk to the people there. You can also take note of the current employees' attire, expressions, and overall behavior.
- Processes: Organizational culture can directly impact a company's operations and, ultimately, its productivity. The organization's culture is instilled throughout the company — from its employees to how they do their jobs. For example, a company that values feedback and employee involvement might have that reflected in their processes by including many opportunities for employees to comment. By allowing employees to feel their voices are heard, this company is adhering to its culture.
Understanding an organization's culture
As a project manager, it is essential to understand your company's culture, mainly because it could affect the projects you work on. Communication, decision-making, rituals, previous management styles, and values are aspects of an organization's culture directly related to how you manage projects. To learn more about a company's culture and how it applies to you as a project manager, you can:
Ask questions
You can learn about an organization's culture by asking management and peers questions. It can be helpful to ask these questions in the interview phase to better understand the company's culture before accepting a position. You might want to ask questions about:
Atmosphere
- What is the company's dress code?
- How do people typically share credit at this company?
- Is risk-taking encouraged, and what happens when people fail?
- How do managers support and motivate their team?
- How do people in this role interact with customers and users?
- When and how do team members give feedback to one another?
- What are some workplace traditions?
- What are some of the ways the company celebrates success?
Policies
- What are the policies around sick days and vacation?
- Does the company allow employee flexibility (e.g., working from home, flexible working hours)?
- What policies are in place that support employees sharing their identity in the workplace?
Processes
- What is the company's onboarding process?
- How do employees measure the impact of their work?
Values
- What are the company's mission and value statements?
- How might the person in this role contribute to the organization's mission?
- How does the organization support professional development and career growth?
Listen to people's stories.
Listening to what current employees say and how they portray the company will give you great insight.
- What were employees' experiences with similar projects in the past?
- What can they tell you about key stakeholders and customers?
Take note of company rituals.
Rituals can be powerful drivers of culture. They engage people and help instill a sense of shared purpose and experience.
- How are birthdays and holidays celebrated?
- Do employees generally eat lunch at the same time and in the same place?
- Watch employee interactions: Observing how employees interact can help you tailor your interaction style to the company norm.
- Are employee interactions more formal or informal?
- Are ideas solicited from employees in different roles?
Understand your impact
As a project manager, you become a change agent. Remember: a change agent is someone inside an organization who helps the organization transform by focusing on improving organizational effectiveness and development. When you begin a new role, sit down with management to better understand what is expected of you and how to make the most of the opportunity.
Sharpen your communication skills.
Interpersonal communication skills are a significant part of project management. How a company communicates is directly tied to its organizational culture. You will interact with various departments and management levels while executing projects. To communicate effectively, you must understand how to navigate the different channels in your company. When you start a new role, ask questions about communication practices such as: Is it customary to sign emails from the team rather than from you individually? Should presentations include team members or be solely presented by the project manager? This can help you make sure you are adhering to expectations.
Approaching projects differently from how similar projects were managed in the past may be met with some resistance. Although some projects may call for you to break the status quo, when you show an appreciation of your organization's culture, you may help your team members accept any improvements you are implementing.
Key takeaway
Organizational culture is essential because it directly impacts you as a project manager, and learning how to navigate corporate culture gives you a significant advantage when executing projects. Navigating departmental interactions, communicating effectively, and planning your assignment in line with the organization's culture will help set you up for success in your project management career path.
