The day I left working for a big well known company and joined a hitherto unknown entity, my world changed on its head. Till then, I worked for a big brand, had a gargantuan resource pool and a team that was highly capable given that a strong brand attracted capable and ambitious talent. The brand opened doors professionally and socially but I still quit. That was almost 12 years ago. I still work for the company I joined then, like doing what I do, failing, learning and I don’t think that cycle of engagement is changing anytime soon!
As I roll back the years and peel back the layers of reason, it’s much clearer to me now as to why I made that decision then. It wasn’t necessarily only the immediate role, pay or title that mattered. I would be hypocritical if I say they were not elements of attraction; they helped get me in. What kept me in and going till today has been a constant reinforcement of the Fab four:
Sniff out the Values - When a company places its values square and centre in its company philosophy and business practice, it matters! Willy-nilly, the company has empowered you to hold them accountable to it if you experience something different. Lesson – your values don’t change, they define you, what you like and enjoy and what you detest. Find a company that appreciates or espouses something similar. You’ll experience the ease of fitting in right on day one!
Look for cultural cues – My current employer does not publish photographs and bios of its top management team, it never did. Even though as superfluous as that might seem, this subtle yet deliberate act told me something about an important cultural fundamental in this company – Leadership humility! That was an attractive component of how I wanted to grow. Lesson – the tone at the top (subtle or otherwise) enables you to be effective and be recognised. Whilst there are always exceptions, a company that actively encourages humility amongst others, in this instance, gives away clues in the way it communicates and conducts itself. Look for signs and if you don’t get them, hunt to learn about the culture in advance!
Size matters and large is not always better - when I joined my current employer in a relative small geography, it was a seemingly odd decision. The local business was not performing, the brand was unknown whilst the market offered significant growth; it felt counter intuitive and slightly crazy - However, the local business was small enough not to impact overall company results meaningfully yet strategic enough not to be ignored on the possibilities. A happy situation - It was difficult to go wrong in correcting the course whilst enjoying the journey - Lesson - Size for impact matters. Know your strengths and where you can play successfully for impact. Having a role where you can leave a relatively clear thumb print will feed your need for achievement and hopefully, result in early recognition of the value that you can bring.
Diversity is king – Imagine working in a company with a very diverse portfolio with a majority of its sales outside its home country. In any given adverse economic situation, the company will be able to balance performance either within its portfolio or geographies. And this is a company that can offer you multiple businesses and geographies to build your career; not a small opportunity! Lesson – think through how will the new company respond when times are tough, understand the organizational appetite for moving talent and search for a diverse presence.
The fab four have been the reasons driving my choice of why and where I work. What are yours?
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