It goes without saying that you should not work for a company whose culture does not match your personality. However there might be different situations that you have found yourself in this position. For example, once I recognized I don’t fit the company culture only after joining the company. What to do then?
First of all, check out my article What is a positive company culture. That is what you should be looking for when looking for a new company to work at.
In this article I have compiled a list of some tips on what to do if you feel like your own values and opinions are not validated or accepted in the company culture.
Figure out what makes you feel this way
Before you overreach that everything has gone awfully wrong, give yourself a moment to figure out why you feel this way. Identify the problem. Company culture can be difficult to comprehend. While you may immediately think of perks like free food and rooftop parties, you already know that culture is much more than that.
The essence of a company’s culture is made up of intangibles such as norms, values, and beliefs. For example, a complex hierarchy versus a flat structure, or a company that prioritizes continuous feedback versus a single rigid performance review.
Let’s be honest. It’s difficult to get a sense of all of these things until you dive in headfirst and become a part of an organization. But, before you start panicking, take a step back and figure out exactly what’s making you uneasy about your new boss or workspace.
Pick your desired culture type
There are 4 main culture types to choose from – social, dependable, enterprising and hierarchical.
Social Culture: In this workplace, the distinction between personal and professional connections is frequently blurred. You might start chatting with your colleagues who soon can become friends. While this isn’t necessarily bad, not everybody can work this way. At times you need to set boundaries when you are not bothered, working productively.
Dependable Culture: This organization places a strong emphasis on processes and daily predictability. Everything has a plan and a somewhat strict way of working. Anything that goes out of the line of the predictable, is considered an unnecessary danger.
Entrepreneurial Culture: This company is meritocratic, values intelligence and creativity, and is competitive, even when friendly competition is present. Employees in this kind of culture are motivated to invent and create new ideas. Your opinions will always be listened to, however at times it might be hard to work in such an environment where ideas are constantly pumped out.
Hierarchical Culture: In this conventional and hierarchical society, people revere power and vie for it. Everybody has their own place in the company and you can climb up the ladder in your own time after you have earned it. You need to constantly prove yourself in order to be the best at what you do.
It is clear as day that every company culture can be both exciting and terrifying at first. But there are many kinds of people and one culture will fit you better than the rest. It is okay to try all of them first to figure out your fit.
Check out the article Delivering constructive feedback at work to learn how to express yourself in the workspace.