Jul 31 2008 9:25AM | Permalink | Email this | Comments (1) |
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I have to admit, I've always been a skeptic about how much company culture can affect a business. My view has always been along the lines of "It's work ... you're not supposed to like it."

But lately, a couple of things have changed my opinion. One has been personal, one has been from my observations of what's going on in the industry.

One thing I've been seeing over the last few months is that while no company is finding it easy these days, those that have a strong company culture seem to be doing better. Those places where the employees enjoy coming to work, where there is buy-in from them, are on average getting through this. On the other hand, companies without that are struggling. There are obviously other factors, but I'm seeing enough of this that it's making me a believer. (One example of this is Finished Basement Co., our July Corner Office subject.)

It's also made me take a look at my personal situation. I've been at this job now for close to two years, and I can say, I've noticed a difference between working for RBI (PR's parent company) and my previous employer. We may mock it (we're cynical journalists, after all), but the company has made a real effort to promote a positive company culture. Most of us enjoy our jobs and like coming here and believe that we are supported in our efforts to put out a quality magazine. 

That's a stark difference from my previous job, where there was almost a toxic atmosphere. Simply put, most people did not want to be there and were actively looking for a way out. That was reflected in the quality of work produced. I can tell you honestly, my work was not as good as what I do now. And I believe that a lot of other people could have done better work if they'd been motivated to. We were treated as interchangeable cogs and responded as such.

So call me a convert to the idea of company culture. What about the rest of you out there? Any views on the importance of company culture?