Dear Bob ... Your weblog re: "Treading Stagnant Waters" hits a bit close to home, although I'd say my situation differs slightly from that of the correspondent's. Regardless, I'm considering option #3 -- looking for another place to land. The thing I'd like to know is this-- how do you ask people in interviews about company culture and internal politics? I've actually contemplated asking something like "Do Dear Bob …Your weblog re: “Treading Stagnant Waters” hits a bit close to home, although I’d say my situation differs slightly from that of the correspondent’s. Regardless, I’m considering option #3 — looking for another place to land. The thing I’d like to know is this– how do you ask people in interviews about company culture and internal politics?I’ve actually contemplated asking something like “Do you see any unique challenges in your company’s culture?” Granted, I realize most interviewers are focused on selling their firm, but I want to try to weed out those places where it’s just downright nasty to work BEFORE suffering therein. – Seeking the cultureDear Anthropologist …Two answers, neither of them mine. I’m posting the first today, from another regular reader. Wednesday I’ll post advice from the source – Nick Corcodilos, author of the Ask the Headhunter newsletter. Here’s the reader’s cautionary tale:Dear Bob …I’ve been reading your column for awhile now, and I like the advice you dispense. Some of the trickiest issues surround jobs: seeking, leaving, deciding about staying. Allow me to suggest something to your readers that may allow them to avoid an unpleasant experience I had about 18 months ago. In mid-2002, I was a project manager for a large organization, very happily and profitably managing an enterprise-wide project. But I was employed as a contactor without any benefits, my COBRA was running out, and I sought to return to a permanent job with benefits.I applied for a number of jobs and landed a IT/managerial position in another company. The pay was excellent, the timing was right, and the job seemed attractive. And I went into it without really investigating the position or the people and politics around it.It was a disaster. The position’s lieutenant had been its previous occupant, effectively demoted out of it to the role of staff member after not performing to the boss’ liking. I was perhaps the third person in 6 months to be in the position, no one else has lasted very long. The boss was reactionary, demanding, but nearly incapable of offering feedback or positive reinforcement. As I figured out much later, his sole concern was how good he looked to his own boss, and it really didn’t matter how many corpses he needed to stand on in order to achieve that.Staff morale was so low I needed carbon-arc lamps to find it. While it took me a long time to realize it, some staff members were actively undermining me. I lasted 10 weeks, the shortest position of my career.I think one thing all too often overlooked by job seekers is the importance that you interview the potential place of employment at least as much as they interview you. There was no rush to accept the position – they clearly wanted me, and being a contractor at my other job allowed me to largely set my own schedule. I could have, and should have, taken a day to sit down with the employees I was to manage and learned about them and the environment. I could have, and should have, spent at least a day in the building just watching what went on. I might have learned about the managerial minefield into which I was stepping, and at least gone in with my eyes open, if not avoided the place entirely.Anyway, I hope you can draw a lesson for your readers out of this. 18 months later, I can say what I did wrong and what I would do differently if I had to do it over. If someone else can benefit from the anecdote, all the better.– Feeling older; definitely wiser Bob says: You told them for me, better than I could have. Thanks. ——– Technology Industry