Your Next Move: Identifying Cultural Norms

FIFTH post: Review of Your Next Move:Identifying Cultural Norms. As people adjust to new companies or new divisions within their own companies, Watkins warns that they should probe cultural norms. 1)Influence—how do people get support for their ideas….look for trends; 2) Meetings—what’s the norm for how you act in them…what can and can’t you say; 3) Execution—when you do make a move, what’s necessary for success; 4) Conflict—do people avoid conflict or come at it head on; 5)Recognition—is it a Star or Team-player kind of organization…what leadership style do they value; 6) Ends vs Means—are there any unwritten rules about how you achieve results? If you do make the inevitable cultural transgression, Watkins recommends the 3R’s: Recognize (the mistake); Recover (Apologize—my word); Recalibrate (start over, wiser and more attuned).