Regarding the hierarchy / formal bureaucracy—do you think that suits your personality? Do you like clearly-defined, consistent work? Are there any colleagues of yours who value spontaneity / openness that you’ve talked to about the work? :-)
Yeah I definitely have colleagues on both ends- some get frustrated when there aren’t enough opportunities for spontaneity or risks, others like working in a well-established institution with set norms. I would add that people are very much encouraged to bring their own style and ideas to work and it’s safe to challenge things- but it inevitably is harder to shift culture given the size of the organisation.
I personally don’t mind the peaks and troughs/inconsistency of work- keeps things exciting!
Does that sound consistent to you? I’m conscious terms like hierarchy or openness have different meanings to different people.
That’s helpful context, thanks! There are definitely chances to be imaginative and creative in my role—but I think significantly less than in smaller, more agile organisations. New ideas are very much encouraged, but it can take more work to see them in to practice, as more steps of approval are needed, and they need to fit in to a large, well-established institution.
Regarding the hierarchy / formal bureaucracy—do you think that suits your personality? Do you like clearly-defined, consistent work? Are there any colleagues of yours who value spontaneity / openness that you’ve talked to about the work? :-)
Yeah I definitely have colleagues on both ends- some get frustrated when there aren’t enough opportunities for spontaneity or risks, others like working in a well-established institution with set norms. I would add that people are very much encouraged to bring their own style and ideas to work and it’s safe to challenge things- but it inevitably is harder to shift culture given the size of the organisation.
I personally don’t mind the peaks and troughs/inconsistency of work- keeps things exciting!
Does that sound consistent to you? I’m conscious terms like hierarchy or openness have different meanings to different people.
I understand the terms have different meanings, yeah :/ I was actually thinking about it in the context of the Big 5 personality trait ‘openness’.
I’m not sure whether the work you’re describing is consistent. :/ I’d need a lot more specific examples to add judgement there.
That’s helpful context, thanks! There are definitely chances to be imaginative and creative in my role—but I think significantly less than in smaller, more agile organisations. New ideas are very much encouraged, but it can take more work to see them in to practice, as more steps of approval are needed, and they need to fit in to a large, well-established institution.
Thank you for the followup! Appreciate you writing about your job just to help others :-)