How to understand and create the culture you need to be yourself, do your best work and feel you belong.

When you think about the culture of your current organisation, which words spring to mind? Pause for a minute and let them bubble up.

Here are some that came to mind when I thought of all the places I had worked over a 30-year career:

Energising

Stifling

Stagnant

Toxic

Inspiring

Hectic

Disjointed

Fun

Chaotic

Restrictive

Authoritarian

Controlling

Deaf

Creative

And to be honest, in most cases when I left an organization for something ‘more me’, it was often because the culture made me feel I didn’t belong there. Some of the values I held dear were in conflict with those of the organization, and if I was to thrive, I needed to move. In these cases I wasn’t seen, heard or appreciated.

This disenchantment can grow slowly or it can hit with the force of a tsunami as a result of sudden changes in people or organizational mission. The impacts are the same: alienation, disengagement, frustration, unhappiness, despair or anger.

With the awareness that the culture is failing to nourish you comes the growing desire to do something to improve things. Many dream of resigning and when this seems unrealistic start to feel trapped.

One of the keys to creating a better situation is to gain the clarity of WHY the culture just isn’t serving you. Here’s how you can get started.

Can you be yourself at work?

What would you love to experience in the company culture of your organization? What would help you thrive and give your best? What would inspire you? What would make you feel you belong?

In a recent podcast from Breathe, Lizzie Benton (Company Culture Coach and Founder at Liberty Mind) summed up what she saw candidates were looking for in their target organisations:

· A place where being authentic is natural and genuine at all levels

· A democratic culture where everyone has a real say

· Psychological safety to speak out, collaborate, raise issues, be yourself

How about you? What would you like to see in your ideal company culture?

Daniel Coyle in ‘The Culture Playbook’ suggest there are three essential elements to successful cultures:

· Building safety – ‘you belong’

· Sharing vulnerability –‘we trust’

· Establishing purpose – ‘finding true north’

This is a useful framework to think about both the culture of your current organization and what would be optimum for you to be at your most productive and your best.

How to think more about this?

Take 10 minutes to think this through with these prompts:

1. What values are must haves for you at work e.g. respect, transparency, collaboration, integrity, community etc

2. How is each enacted every day at work?

‘Your culture = your actions’ This is important and explored more deeply by Daniel Coyle in ‘The Culture Playbook.

I’ve come up with these parts of company culture you can think about to explore how their values are expressed throughout the organisation:

In the structure of the organization

In methods of communication

In the physical layout

In HR practices

In recruitment

In professional reviews

In external relations

When you’ve thought about this, you’ll be well placed to understand why, or why not, this is ‘your kind of place.’

3. How clearly and openly expressed are these values?

If values remain as a list on the wall and are not consciously owned and linked to how things work on a daily basis, there could be a problem. Perhaps those leading your organisation need to explore this in greater depth.

4. What are your personal values and how can you connect yours to the values of your workplace?

With clarity on what matters most to you comes the ability to connect with company values - they don’t have to be exactly the same but allow for connection. Where there is direct conflict between your values and theirs, you could ask how important this is for your wellbeing and what action you might benefit from taking.

5. Are there elements of your current workplace culture that you would call:

a) dysfunctional

b) toxic?

If you can identify these you will also gain insight into the values you hold most dear. If you ignore either of these, there could be repercussions for your wellbeing and ability to thrive where you are. You have a choice - will you do something to change things for the better?

Your authenticity meets their culture

When you know who you are, what you value, where your purpose lies, which strengths you want to contribute, what motivates you, and the kind of life you want to create, you can be your authentic self. With this self-awareness, you are also ready to recognise and accept others for who they are.

You also understand the work culture you need in which you can truly flourish. By knowing, owning and living this awareness, you are ready to genuinely belong rather than struggling to fit in:

‘Belonging doesn’t require us to change who we are; it requires us to be who we are.’

(Brené Brown, Daring Greatly)

In practical terms, this could mean:

· Exploring possibilities of change in the culture of your current place of work using existing forums, or instigating a special meeting. Opening up a dialogue could be surprisingly welcome as there is the potential for both employer and employee to benefit

· Identifying organisations in your professional domain that are a better match for your values and exploring how you might find out more and potentially make a shift

· Thinking more deeply about whether your current career truly matches your values, strengths and purpose

If 2023 is the year that you are determined to move in a more authentic direction, one that fulfills you and allows you to give your best, then you have to take some action! But don’t panic or jump ship immediately. Spending time exploring what you really need to flourish is a relatively easy first step to take.

If you’d like some help, just get in touch. I offer a free 30-minute career call to help get your ball rolling.

Book a free career chat

You don’t have to resign - consider a redesign of your current role

How to change career: The Quickstep Career Change Programme