I worked for a US Fortune 500 company for 8 years.  I hadn’t planned to work for a large American corporate – the small company I worked for was acquired and assimilated by the corporate machine.  After working in start-ups I looked forward to the opportunities a large company could provide – higher pay, career growth, and a corporate role to add to my CV.  Unfortunately working for a US corporate wasn’t everything it cracked up to be.

The local site retained some of its small company culture after the acquisition – BBQs in the summer, foosball competitions, the annual Christmas party, and Friday afternoon drinks in the office. But the local culture was overshadowed by:

• Toxic egos and bullies were permitted to thrive under poor leadership from local leaders who cared more about climbing the corporate ladder than bringing people along with them.
• And the corporate culture run by accountants where profit was managed through the annual hiring freeze and headcount reductions (redundancies).

This isn’t the type of company I want to work for.  I want to work for a people-centric company.  One that manages profit through customer acquisition and repeat business, and doesn’t tolerate egos and bullies.  One where I feel safe and empowered when I walk through the door in the morning because I have the autonomy to do my job.  And where I leave at the end of the day knowing the work I’ve done is meaningful and my efforts are appreciated.

When I start my own company I know which culture I want to build.  Hint – it’s not one where people dread walking through the door in the morning or have survivor’s guilt from avoiding the latest round of redundancies.

Photo: Passing a raining Sunday afternoon at Kelly Tarlton’s Underwater World in Auckland.