What can you do about your Corporate Culture?

Posted on May 03, 2022 by Han Chen, One of Thousands of Life Coaches on Noomii.

The other day I and a junior colleague got into a heated debate about corporate culture.

She was previously from the trading industry. She shared that the industry is very cut-throat. New joiners are thrown into the unknown. You either learn to swim or you die. You are pretty much on your own and there are very few people you can rely on.
The culture at our company is great. The flip side is that it is too comfortable and it does not teach people the necessary hard skills to survive outside. It is tough but that’s just the reality.

I was quite shocked hearing that. I do realize that I was very fortunate to spend my first decade of professional life in such an environment. And that it is rare, especially in this part of the world. And I have made my mission to sustain and to make the culture even better so we can retain more people.

When I hear my colleague’s description, these questions come to my mind: is your job or your career something you need to “survive” in? Do most people see corporate life as the necessary evil that pays the bills but if we could we all would want to do something else with our time? To retire early? To travel the world?

My inner dialogue continues: don’t we all want a better culture that is more sustainable for both corporations and employees? If yes, can we create this alternative reality for corporations? What is needed for us to make it a reality?

And if you look at the corporate values that everyone appreciates, they are not very unfamiliar to you: open & transparent communication, trust, authenticity, respect etc. But how come when implemented, it can look so different from company to company? That can be really frustrating sometimes.

I believe it needs to start with every individual. The leaders, certainly. But also everyone can play a part. Let’s create a company culture that helps each to thrive rather than to survive. It is easy to quit. But before you do that ask yourself, what can you do to make a change?

Here are a few pieces of advice I took away from my 10 years of corporate life:

Reach out to someone you trust. It can be a senior person, your mentor in a different team, or another experienced colleague. Share openly what culture you would like to work in. Ask the person for his/her input.

Find benefits why the changes you suggest can can benefit others. Keep in mind that your management will be more willing to listen if the changes you suggest benefit a wider population. But they are also human and ultimately they are looking the same things as you.

Start with something small. Chances for success is higher if the change you suggest is not that difficult to achieve. One example: what does open communication look like? Let’s implement one element of open communication in the monthly team meeting.

Start a change in an organization can be daunting. But the more you stretch yourself, the more you will grow. Remember, don’t wait for the change, be the change.