When Joining a Company, Figure Out How Decisions Are Made

Here is another valuable Management Tip of the Day from Harvard Business Review. To sign up for a free subscription to any/all HBR newsletters, please click here.

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When you join an organization, you have a short window of time to adapt to its culture. And one of the most important aspects of a work culture is how decisions are made.

o Does your new company have a bias for action, or a bias for analysis and consensus? In organizations with the former, decisions are made quickly and attention spans tend to be limited.

o If you’re pushing for an initiative in these companies, present your position clearly and give stakeholders the information they need to make a decision.

o Other company cultures prefer a more protracted discussion of options, models, and strategies. In these companies you’ll likely need to send around materials and analyses, and perhaps even redo a presentation several times, before a decision is made.

Once you understand how your new organization works, think about your own preferences and how they fit with the culture.

Adapted from “When You Start a New Job, Pay Attention to These 5 Aspects of Company Culture,” by Allan H. Church and Jay A. Conger

It would also be a good idea if you figure out what the organization values most. Knowing that can guide and inform your contributions and consequent rewards..

Here’s a direct link to dozens of other Management Tips.

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