Grow: Q&A with a Mentor

Mentee Question: Where I work there doesn't seem to be a management philosophy in practice.  It seems like each publisher runs his or her own show.  Wouldn't it be more successful if everybody treated everyone as if they were, or could be, a valuable member of the team.  Is it like that in all publishing companies, or is this a corporate culture issue?

Mentor Answer: Companies do have different cultures, and individual magazine staffs have different cultures.  The goal is to figure out what type of culture makes you most successful, and how you measure success.  Most managers encourage individuality, so be the culture you want to have an articulate it.  Today, lots of emails are signed off with an inspiring quote.  People want to know who you are, and it will help you stay true to your course as well.