Corporate Culture

As a corporate outsider (consultant, entrepreneur, etc...) I find it amazing how corporate culture can affect a companies success. Any culture other than open and nurturing can be like a virus or cancer that keeps talent bound up in all sorts of negativity and looking for a way out. It also keeps new talent away. Often these negative cultures are invisible to the insider like a new sickness seeping it's way through the system.

Since I am looking for a place to employ my experience, this cultural phenomenon has a personal stake. I pass it off as an anomaly once or twice but then I start to wonder. I think of ways to disprove the theory by creating a list of activities in order of priority. Since I don't have a lot of time I usually bang it out pretty fast. If the assessment proves true to bad culture then I move away from that company fast.

An example: A medical device company going through some changes has some very interesting business development jobs available. I investigate. I like what I see, so I start networking into that area of the company. The more I try to network the more uncomfortable it gets. People are avoiding contact and seem uncomfortable to talk about the company. It's makes me wonder if they are protecting themselves or don't want to risk supporting efforts for someone they don't know. This all contributes to my suspicion. I ask myself, "Do you really want to work for a company with that kind of culture?"