This year’s college commencements are winding down, and a new wave of graduates readies to enter the workforce.

As institutions, colleges and corporations both are collections of people in the business of creating and communicating knowledge. Individuals approach this with their own learning styles which, more or less, mesh well with each environment.

Both have cultures and values, many of which reflect the leadership, the environment, and the community (e.g., factory-to-scale vs. craft shop). Individuals have to learn about this in both contexts, and acclimate themselves.

Both run according to iterative processes that must daily make countless tradeoffs across Dynamics. Nothing is perfect. What’s available to an individual is a result of these choices.

Both are judged by success. Enterprises live by cash flow and, increasingly, by keeping key personnel. For schools and students, it’s about graduation and employment rates, individuals’ grades.

Both are judged by satisfaction. How’s my engagement at work? How’s our retention of key employees? Did I make friends and get something good from my college experience? Am I a loyal alum?

What can we take away from this? Success in school and at work depends on the same three things: learning, producing, and acclimating to individuals and their organizations. So whether you are new to the workforce or are a 30-year veteran, 5 Dynamics can help you find success and satisfaction.