Understanding Workplace Culture and Why It's Important

How we work together collectively, coupled with our similar motivations, and punctuated by our shared beliefs, principles, and values to create the general environment that we work in, is called workplace culture. Yes, there are numerous definitions of workplace culture, and all of them encompass elements of this definition.

While the definition of workplace culture may vary, there is a consensus among those who attempt to define it: workplace culture is something you experience emotionally. Every place of business has a personality, and every workplace has an emotional vibe that characterizes it. 

This vibe is organic and stems from the employees (human beings not just human capital) who work there, and the leaders who hire and inspire them. This synergy is palpable when you walk into any office. For some it's tough to describe, but to all it's easily felt. 

For those employed in workplace cultures that are not a great place to work (i.e., a salubrious work environment that provides profits and rewards beyond your paycheck and healthcare benefits) the ultimate considerations are sustainability (how long can you endure it in terms of threat to well-being), and growth.

It is said that if something is not growing, it is dying. That may be an overarching principle, but it certainly applies to one's career. Workplace culture is like soil and your career is a plant; the  career opportunities for growth within your company have everything to do with how fertilized the soil (i.e., culture) is - no matter if it's a seed or a newly potted plant.

This is why culture is so important and should receive the foremost consideration in one's career strategy, in addition to the tally of 2,080 yearly hours, on average, that full-time workers spend there. Workplace culture is tantamount to lifestyle choice; one that distinguishes having a job or making a living.