How do you learn the company culture of a new client when taking on their project?

"I'd begin with a checklist - the same one for each client, no matter their industry. This checklist gives me a baseline of what I am looking for within an organization. I'd ask questions of the employees and leaders related to values, relationships, corrective action, development opportunities, and more. Also, I must immerse myself in the culture, so if I have a client I'll be working with for a few months, I'll spend a few days inside their office, learning their operations first-hand."

"When I was an independent consultant, I would work with clients anywhere from a few weeks to a few months. I developed a questionnaire that contained discovery questions surrounding how the c-suite viewed various relationships, how they reward their employees, how they approach disciplinary action, and more. I would spend time immersed in their environment and then create a brief report based on the data and my direct exposure."