“I feel like I’m in the right line of work,” he said. “I just don’t know if I’m in the right company.” Words I hear all too often which is disheartening for three reasons.
#1 This may be a sign that the interviewee has not done their due diligence in ensuring the company is the right company prior to accepting the position.
#2 This could indicate that the interviewer did not do a “best-fit” hire, meaning they overlooked ways in which the values of the organization may conflict with your working style or cultural fit.
#3 A change has taken place that has not been effectively managed within the organization.
Here is one way to know if you are with the right company?
Before we dive in here, let’s understand that it’s not always about leaving the organization for a better fit but rather finding the reasons to reconnect with your existing company with a fresh new perspective to MAKE it a better fit. Either way, if you want to know if you are with the right company here are a few key things that you can check to see how you line up.
Do you know how you connect with the organization’s Mission and Vision? Every organization has a mission (their reason for existing) and their vision (the future they intend to move towards). Some of them are ridiculously complex and don’t speak to the average employee and often leaders do not do a good job of helping their staff connect to the corporate mission or vision. That doesn’t mean that you can’t find a reason though.
First you must understand what the mission and vision are – really understand them. Understand the strategies that the organization intends to use to execute on their mission and vision. Then, you must discover (sometimes by working with leadership) on understanding how your specific role contributes to the execution of this mission and vision.
Only when you have that information can you then determine if you are a fit based on the mission and vision. You may be surprised to find out that you connect better than you think you do and that you are in fact contributing in a way that matters to you.
What is your purpose? You must know why you want to get up in the morning and go to work. (Feel free to reach out to me if this is something you struggle with!) Then look at your role and the company. If it isn’t obvious, perhaps it’s worth spending some time to discover how you can fulfill your purpose while in this role. If there is absolutely no way, then perhaps your job allows you to fulfill this purpose outside of work time and therefore you still have a reason to go (For example, if your purpose is to travel and this company pays well and offers good vacation, then maybe your purpose for going is to get your pay check and do the work you are hired to do so that you can travel. If your purpose is to help others, maybe this organization offers employees opportunities to volunteer for not-for-profits without deducting from work hours. Etc.) If it is neither of those things, it might be time to pack your bags and find a different organization!
Do you understand your values? Do you understand their values? When an organization says they have values, discover how they live and breath these values every day. Then do your own values discovery. Are your values in agreement? If not, does working with this organization allow you to enjoy the rest of your life? If not, this could be a sign that it’s time to leave. Careful! It is easy to make a snap judgement. There are many ways to express your values.
How does the organization and leadership recognize their staff? I can remember working in the airline industry and one of our Directors said, “You will know you are doing a good job if you don’t hear from me!” This was a terrible way for me to be lead. What I understood is that if I see you coming towards my desk I should be fearful because I know I must not be doing a good job. I can’t see any logic behind leadership like that. Yet, I am open that others may prefer this style of leadership. It’s important to understand your working style and how you best like to receive praise and feedback. Remember, just because your leader doesn’t YET know how to give you feedback or just because the organization doesn’t YET know how to recognize their staff in a way that works best for you – doesn’t mean they can’t learn!
Having left the airline industry I moved into the energy sector and worked with a different organization. In that organization my leader did not know how to provide me with feedback either. However, by further understanding our working styles we were able to learn to work with each other. At first it seemed impossible but we did eventually work through it! Don’t give up too quickly but if you feel you have tried everything… then it might be time to leave!
Always Remember, Never Forget. sometimes we make the right decision when we join an organization, and sometimes we have to make the decision right. So if leaving isn’t an option you want to explore make it work for you by shifting your perception and finding meaningful ways to connect with the organization.
Christopher is the Chief Value Officer and Founder of Change My Life Coaching and Change My Business Coaching— a fast growing whole-life coaching company, and the only one of it’s kind. He is also the author of “Go Beyond Passion: Discover Your Dream Job”. Christopher spent 15+ years working in the corporate world with a plethora of industries and companies. His focus was primarily in planning, strategy, and leadership of change management and communication. Christopher is a Certified Master Coach Practitioner (CMCP), trainer and facilitator, and a passionate public speaker who truly cares about the success of each and every single person he comes into contact with. You can reach him at [email protected].
