FINDING A WAY TO THE TOP

Understanding Corporate Thinking

CORPORATE PLAYERS

Who are the people who can help or hurt your career?   How important is it that you know who the important corporate players are?  Without knowing who the important players are in the company and how much influence they have, one always runs the risk of making enemies of the wrong people, and this sort of thing can come back to haunt you later on in your career.  Always remember that some of the most important people in the company may not necessarily be the senior ranking people, but rather people who hold key positions in the company and who are in a position to do you harm, if they really want to, for example, the personnel manager or director.

COMPANY RULES

Policies and procedures in any company are an important consideration. Therefore, your plan for a successful career in a company must also take into account all of the relevant rules and regulations, particularly the policies that could affect you and your well being. This is like learning the law of the land. Every entry level management employee should make it a point to research the company's personnel practices and meet some of the people who run that department. Also remember that you have a personnel file that you should be intimate with as long as you are working for that organization. There should never be any surprises in your official corporate record. In fact, why not review it every six months?  

Be aware that business cannot function well in the presence of chaos. Therefore, policies and procedures are created to help management run the business in an orderly environment. If there is any serious threat to that orderly environment, the offenders will be dealt with swiftly.

Needless to say, with few exceptions, management level employees who participate in, or strongly support, employee causes of one kind or another generally do not last long in a company. There are some exceptions, of course, but normally, company policy and procedures are supposed to cover the employee channels of redress. If, on the other hand, an issue arises that is not covered by the existing company regulations, it is quite possible that you can convince management to rewrite or revise the rules. This type of activity, however, must be well thought out and well orchestrated within company channels.

Also be aware that in most corporations, there are two sets of rules and regulations. One set is based on the written stated policy and the other is based on unwritten policy. Unwritten policy is generally a matter of long established company tradition, custom, and management style. Know that this concomitant policy does exist, and consider its importance when developing your survival plan.

Corporate level research information can be looked at from a departmental point of view as well. Strong corporations, today, establish departments that have a positive effect on the overall organization and, more important, make an effective fit into the strategic plan. This includes the company's goals, objectives, tasks, style, policies, procedures, resources, personnel communication practices, and so forth.