Understanding Understanding Corporate CultureCorporate Culture

June 16June 16thth, 2010, 2010Sheila BurkettSheila Burkett

Tuxedo Park Management, LLCTuxedo Park Management, LLC

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AgendaAgenda

Welcome & Introductions Welcome & Introductions What is Corporate Culture?What is Corporate Culture? Research A Company’s CultureResearch A Company’s Culture Questions to AskQuestions to Ask ResourcesResources Breakout & NetworkingBreakout & Networking Wrap-upWrap-up

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Why Explore Corporate Why Explore Corporate Culture?Culture?

Helps you understand yourselfHelps you understand yourself Increases your potential of getting Increases your potential of getting

hiredhired Ensures right match with skills and Ensures right match with skills and

personalitypersonality Greatest opportunity for success when Greatest opportunity for success when

in the jobin the job Everyone is unique so don’t go with Everyone is unique so don’t go with

others perception, create your own!others perception, create your own!

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What is Corporate Culture?What is Corporate Culture?

Shared values and practices of the Shared values and practices of the employeesemployees

May not match published cultureMay not match published culture The company’s personalityThe company’s personality How people do their workHow people do their work Culture sets how we behave Culture sets how we behave

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What is Corporate Culture?What is Corporate Culture?

Sub-cultures can existSub-cultures can exist Industries have culture tooIndustries have culture too The culture can change over timeThe culture can change over time ValuesValues EthicsEthics BeliefsBeliefs Personality TraitsPersonality Traits

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Leadership versus Leadership versus ManagementManagement

Recognize individual’s needs to allow Recognize individual’s needs to allow for their highest levels of for their highest levels of performanceperformance

Intuitive and people-oriented Intuitive and people-oriented Influenced by the individual Influenced by the individual

personality of company founderspersonality of company founders Current executive leadership team Current executive leadership team

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Understanding ImpactUnderstanding Impact

Ignoring the culture or working Ignoring the culture or working against culture will lead to failureagainst culture will lead to failure

There isn’t a RIGHT or WRONG There isn’t a RIGHT or WRONG culture, just a right or wrong FITculture, just a right or wrong FIT

Company Values, Beliefs and Ethics Company Values, Beliefs and Ethics must be compatible with Individualmust be compatible with Individual

A company with unethical or illegal A company with unethical or illegal business practices; or sick culture business practices; or sick culture will self-destruct.will self-destruct.

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Management by ObjectiveManagement by Objective

Management by ObjectiveManagement by Objective The StonecutterThe Stonecutter Self-ControlSelf-Control

– Do best rather than just enoughDo best rather than just enough– Pay for resultsPay for results– What tools are they using to measure What tools are they using to measure

success?success?

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Drucker – The IndividualDrucker – The Individual

Be EffectiveBe Effective Focus on ContributionFocus on Contribution Know your strengths and valuesKnow your strengths and values Know your timeKnow your time Effective decisionsEffective decisions Functioning CommunicationsFunctioning Communications Leadership as WorkLeadership as Work InnovationInnovation

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So…So…

Many perspectives, many modelsMany perspectives, many models Takes time to research and Takes time to research and

understandunderstand– YOUYOU– INDUSTRYINDUSTRY– COMPANYCOMPANY

No right or wrong, just right fitNo right or wrong, just right fit

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Research A Company’s Research A Company’s CultureCulture

Company WebsiteCompany Website Public Relations MaterialsPublic Relations Materials People in your NetworkPeople in your Network The CEO or OwnersThe CEO or Owners Corporate structureCorporate structure RankingsRankings Public filingsPublic filings Wetfeet.com & glassdoor.comWetfeet.com & glassdoor.com

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Questions to AskQuestions to Ask

What is the energy of the company?What is the energy of the company? What is your leadership style?What is your leadership style? How do people solve problems in the How do people solve problems in the

organization?organization? Is the company innovative? How?Is the company innovative? How? Support for professional growth?Support for professional growth?

– Education ReimbursementEducation Reimbursement– Additional ResponsibilitiesAdditional Responsibilities

Rate of turnover?Rate of turnover?

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Questions to AskQuestions to Ask

Employee morale?Employee morale? Style of dress?Style of dress? Length of work day?Length of work day? Support for work/life balance?Support for work/life balance? Ease and frequency of communication Ease and frequency of communication

internally?internally? Why is there an opening? What happened Why is there an opening? What happened

with the person who previously had my with the person who previously had my position?position?

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Words that might describe an Words that might describe an OrganizationOrganization

DrivenDriven AggressiveAggressive FriendlyFriendly EngagedEngaged DefensiveDefensive PassivePassive ResponsibleResponsible

ToughTough FairFair ActiveActive AnalyticalAnalytical OpenOpen ProductiveProductive

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A Good FitA Good Fit

Think about different corporate Think about different corporate cultures discussedcultures discussed

Write down three words that describe Write down three words that describe your BEST FITyour BEST FIT

Save these for breakout groupSave these for breakout group

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ResourcesResources

Wetfeet.com & glassdoor.comWetfeet.com & glassdoor.com Investor Relations - Investor Relations -

http://www.irin.com/cgi-bin/main.cgihttp://www.irin.com/cgi-bin/main.cgi http://http://

www.corporateinformation.com/ www.corporateinformation.com/ Personality Tests: Personality Tests: http://http://

www.similarminds.com/personality_twww.similarminds.com/personality_tests.htmlests.html

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Wrap UpWrap Up

Read up on Leadership StylesRead up on Leadership Styles Pick a company to researchPick a company to research Upcoming SessionsUpcoming Sessions Continue to NETWORKContinue to NETWORK

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ResourcesResources

Bounce Back St. Louis: Bounce Back St. Louis: Bouncebackstl.orgBouncebackstl.org

MERIC (MO Economic Research and MERIC (MO Economic Research and Information Center): Information Center): Missourieconomy.orgMissourieconomy.org

Bureau of Labor Statistics: Bls.orgBureau of Labor Statistics: Bls.org Careeronestop.orgCareeronestop.org www.business.gov/industries/self-emplowww.business.gov/industries/self-emplo

yed/yed/