ALT-2 The Hidden Code how to Fit in and Succeed in Todays Organizations
It was my first day of my first government job. I'd been asked to take charge of the department's newsletter, and get the latest issue out right away. About three in the afternoon, as I sat in my gloomy cubicle frantically writing, my boss popped her head in and offered me a lift to an after-work social event. I thanked her, told her I needed to finish the work and would get a ride with someone else, and patted myself on the back for demonstrating my conscientiousness. Briefly, I wondered why she seemed annoyed
Later her second-in-command raked me over the coals. "When the boss offers you a lift you take it," she snarled (yes, it was quite a temperamental group). At first I didn't get it. I'd been a freelance writer for a long time. This hierarchical thing just wasn't clicking for me. In my previous world, the deadline was our god. And now she seemed to be telling me that in the bureaucratic world, the ego of the boss reigns supreme.
That's the way it is with organized groups. Each has a code of behavior, and the code is never written down it's implicit. No one ever tells you the rules until you break them. And if you're like me, you don't find it easy to catch on to the subtler aspects of group behavior. Yes, it's about conforming, and at a personal level I have some trouble with that. But the fact is that today's organizations tend to emphasize how well employees "fit" the workplace and get along with their coworkers. Unless you're a peak performer with skills that are in short supply in the marketplace, you need to be able to conform to the hidden code. To discover the hidden code of any organization you need to do three things.
1 Observe before you act. The workplace is a minefield and until you know where the mines are, it's best not to make any sudden movements.
Say your boss likes to be known for her straight-ahead style. At your first meeting she says, "I like to encourage an open flow of communication. Bring me your ideas. Share your constructive criticisms. Speak your mind. That's how we work here." A few days later you discover a process let's say the way mail is sorted takes three times longer than it needs to. And you've got the solution.
If you took her words at face value, you'd speak right up. But wait. Best to find out more first. Suppose she'd designed the inefficient process in the first place? Suppose it's keeping her pet protege employed? Suppose she's giving lip service to the latest leadership course she was sent on, but what she really appreciates is for employees to keep their mouths shut and do what they're told. File your thoughts away in your light-bulb folder and hang onto it until you know the lay of the land, including the appropriate way to communicate.
2 Observe rewards and punishments. Organizations frequently adopt some form of value statement, but the only way to really know what behaviors are valued is by observing which personalities and actions are rewarded and which are punished.
Let's take another look at that boss from the previous example (not based on anyone I know!). She may like to be known as a no nonsense sort, but watch and see if her rewards and punishments bear this out. Who gets the most air-time in group discussions? Who gets promoted? Who gets special assignments? Are they plain-spoken or shameless flatterers.
3 Observe your co-workers' behavior and be willing to adapt. We're brought up to think certain behaviors are valuable promptness, as an example, or courtesy. So when we move into the workplace we automatically assume this is the right way to behave. Yet I've consulted to many organizations where it was the absolute norm to be 10 minutes late for meetings. It drove people crazy, but it was the norm and very quickly you learn to conform because otherwise you are sitting in an empty room doing nothing until everyone else shows up. (Meeting management is another topic I intend to write about soon!)
Or let's take communication style as another example. I had a lot of trouble in this area when I switched from journalism into corporate communications. It was a real challenge to adapt. You see, when journalists are working with each other (as opposed to interviewing the President), they tend to say what they think, be very comfortable with disagreement, and like to argue. I soon discovered that none of these habits went over very well in the corporate world. People would get very stiff and unfriendly, or worse yet, not let me speak! For a long time, I held to my convictions. "How can you make the right decision if you don't argue it through? Whaddya mean opinionated - you hired me for my expertise, and now you don't you want my opinion?" After a while, for no noble reason but simply the need to keep my job, I gave up.
Now I know that in every organization there's a polite way to offer an alternate opinion. Every place has a small selection of stock phrases that are considered acceptable. It doesn't take long to learn them. And every workplace has a slightly different level of emotional animation you can get away with without making people uncomfortable.
Of course every individual is different, too, and you have the absolute right to be yourself in an organization. It's a matter of managing how much of yourself, what parts of yourself, and how intensely yourself you can successfully be in a given workplace. With time, you can find your own "best fit." Good luck!
