Crash Course in Corporate Culture

Not only is this my first real career based job, it is also my first time working for a large company. There are so many organizational charts and trees, with me at the very bottom. I have a manager, a senior manager, he has a manager, then there's the Sr VP of the division. And he reports to someone else who reports to someone else who reports to the CEO. If I wanted to climb the ladder, that's a long way to go.

I never imagined myself in this sort of situation, but I imagine it had to happen given the industry. So, given that I'm a novice to the world of corporate culture, this past week handed me a crash course, covering several different topics.

It started with the announcement of a new CEO. It caught many in the organization by surprise. Me? I'm new, I still don't know what's going on. Many had an allegiance to the young COO who captured the hearts of the employees during bankruptcy. Others had hoped for the CFO, who is a little more seasoned and also has quite a following, to take the helm. Many were shocked when the news hit that we're getting someone from the outside.

My general manager called a meeting to discuss the transition with our team. I appreciated his candor. Many expressed disappointment that it wasn't an "inside job." This organization prides itself on the ability of its workers to climb the ranks, to make a career for themselves. Bringing in an outsider cast doubt on many's hopes. Some, including the co-worker whose job I am inheriting, grab onto the negative: look where he worked previously, what people have heard about him. Others, including the coworker I hope will become my mentor, have a more objective perspective. The COO is young. The new CEO has a lot of experience, he did a good job previously considering the circumstances. Me? I guess I am lucky to have objectivity. My allegiances are growing, but I'm not extremely emotionally involved yet. The new guy? We'll wait and see.

Thursday afternoon brought a meeting request from the Sr Vice President of my division. The entrance into bankruptcy brought a lot of job cuts and shifting within the organization, but no reducement in work. This has overloaded the workers in my division. The managers say we're 10 bodies short of a lean organization. The Sr VP wanted to discuss the work load concerns. He was amused that I've only been with the company for a few weeks. He was awesome, I left with a warm and fuzzy feeling. He talked about values as an organization. How safety and compliance comes first, no matter what. Not even if it means delays and unloading a/c full of people. He talked about how we work as a team, about the importance of integrity, dignity and respect. But his last point took it home for me. He said we're a family, and that no member should ever get left behind, for any reason. Personal reasons, anything. He said he would break every rule in the book to make sure that our "family" is taken care of.

In a world of overpaid CEOs, this made me feel much better. I could've worked anywhere else. The benefits are beyond awesome, second to none in the industry. But not only that, now I can rest easy about my management.

I'm glad I ended up here.