Invaluable Lessons Learned in the Corporate World
I can’t say I have been part of the Corporate World for very long but here are a few lessons I have kept in mind for the day I have a team I will be taking care of:
1- People work for people.
Every company I have joined, employees were either highly motivated with their job, either highly demotivated.
What I came to realize was that the reason for their motivation level wasn’t primarily due to “a high salary” or “a comfortable workspace” (although those still play an important role in employee satisfaction), but it was due to their relationship with their boss.
Yes, the highest one in the hierarchy the employees were working with/for on a daily basis was the reason some employees gave it all they had, while others stopped putting in effort when they realized no matter how hard they tried, they wouldn’t get any recognition.
2- You WILL be hated at some point.
One sad reality of the corporate world is that at some point in your career, you will feel like you’re hated.
My advice is — try not to take it personally because they don’t hate you, they hate the good work you’re doing.
Here’s what Oliver Emberton said: “If you’re not pissing someone off, you probably aren’t doing anything important”.
3- Hierarchy doesn’t really matter
A lot of people think that by being friends with the boss, they will receive more at work. And most of the time, those people don’t take into considering those who are are lower than them in the hierarchy.
Here’s what they don’t realize:
It’s everyone’s work that allows the results to be achieved and the smallest (sometimes unnoticeable) things can slow down a huge project.
An example I have witnessed and lived:
The dishwashers were often not considered. The managers would never say hello or small talk with them because they were “dishwashers”. Which was a shame because they were the kindest people and had very interesting experiences to share. I knew their names as I would know any of my other colleagues name.
Here’s how they were giving it back:
During Service Rush hour, the managers could scream as much as they wanted, they never had any small spoons and their orders arrived late because they had to go hunting for them.
By asking the dishwasher politely if they had any clean small spoons, they would always hand me one — straight from their pockets.
The Corporate World isn’t an easy and comfortable place but whoever you choose to be will impact the way those around you act and behave. We all have different management styles but to this day, I still believe Consideration is key to nurturing a positive company culture.
