Reflecting on IDCCA Organizational Culture at the Midway Point

Now that I’m roughly halfway through my internship experience with the IDCCA, I feel I have a relatively strong grasp on the culture of the organization — particularly how I fit into a team that has mostly returned to the office (four are in person while another intern and I are remote).

Because no more than one intern is in the office at a particular time, most of our teamwide communication comes either from group emails or on our weekly Zoom check-in meetings. The communications range from brief and informative (something like, “Hi all, please review for edits. Thanks.”) to longer and more explanatory. When communicating on the individual level, email seems to be the preferred medium as well, especially for less immediate concerns (though I have, on occasion, texted another intern to set up meeting times). Of course, I imagine that the employees in the office also communicate, but as a remote intern, I am necessarily reduced to technological communications.

Despite these somewhat rigid communication norms, the overall culture of the IDCCA is casual (yet still professional). The executive director gave out his cell phone number on the first day and encouraged us to text him with any concerns, the dress code (for those in the office) is informal. Though this can probably be attributed in large part to the small size of the group, I do think the context of the group plays a role in this casual organization. We are a politically-focused organization operating in a non-election year, so while there is still work to be done (mostly fundraising), work is less stressful than I’d imagine it is during an election year. Overall, I consider this casual atmosphere to be a strength, as it enables us as interns to focus on growing, networking, and gaining experience.

As we approach those two major events (July 12 and August 18), it will be interesting to see whether this casual culture continues. Especially because I will be in the office for two days prior to the August event, I imagine things will move at a more hectic pace and the casual atmosphere might take a backseat to the last-minute preparations. But on the whole, I feel right at home working in such a casual atmosphere.