JOKES ARE COSTLY_Observe the working culture of your organization

PHOTO: COURTESY

While we are some times alllowed to joke, we are supposed to be keen when in comes to the place of week. This, in most cases is a place where principles and policies along with 
respect rule the game. A slight joking attitude that is misplaced could land you out of the job place.

At the Kenya Library Bureau where famous textbooks for both tertiary and primary Education are produced, I managed to talk to the Chief designer conecrning the work enevironment at the offices and how we can cope up.

In his expalantion he insited on the observation of the organizational culture of whichever firm you are working with. He said that each institution has its own culture and the first duty of a new worker is to respect the culture and the structures palced.

He should therefore religiously follow the rules and be humble to everyone while erforming all his duties as expected. While small jikes may be aloud here and there, they are in most cases not encouraged especially if they involve laziness and disrespect.

It happens then that most of the people who are laid out of their jobs suffer the consequences of dispising the organizational culture. While some may be outstanding workers, they may still be layed off because either their character does not suit the organizational culture or they despise the organisational cultureof the institution.

This therefore brings us to this point, before choosing an institution which you want to work with or even for internship, observe the organisational culture and decide whether you can suit in. It is the most important step in career development just as in career choice.

Dont therefore joke with your job. In this instance we were given the example of Moi Univsersity students who had gone to the firm for internship, however, they carried the organizational culture of Moi Univsersity to the work place and thought they would still be looked at as students.

They would come late to work, sit together on one table and start surfing using the company WIFI without working. One day the manger dropped in without their knowledge and found them in that state, he just greeted the staff, looked around and walked away quietly. The next thing they saw were letters of dismisal from the attachement.

I want to believe some of the students were just good workers but had just taken their job as ajoke and were allowing themselves to be carried along with others. And that cost them their internship and maybe potential employment.