How can self-reflection help you align your values with organizational culture?

Company culture is a set of unwritten rules, shared values, behaviors, and attitudes that shape how we work, why we excel, and who we are.

"People watch your feet, not your mouth" summarizes culture. It's what you do, not what you say. And it's EVERYTHING you do. Unlike getting an A grade in a test by getting 80% right, culture can be defined by doing just 1 thing "wrong". People are constantly running an internal reality check to determine their response. Here's a hypothetical example : you agree with a stranger that at 8:00am everyday you will send them $5 and they will send you a breakfast bun. On the 3rd day you don't get your bun. Do you send $5 again tomorrow? Would your response be different if it was the 100th day of your arrangement? How many times could it happen before you cancel the arrangement? Culture is consistency of intent, everything you do shapes it.

We often talk about values, rules, rituals, actions etc. (The way we do things around here), when we talk about culture ... however, each one of those terms is an ambiguous proxy for brain function ... for wiring-firing patterns .. for 'reaction' when surviving 'environment' ... so we might consider 'culture' as the way human brains survive the socio-technical conditions they navigate. Recognising 'brain wiring' is the biological base of 'beliefs' (values) ... we can go another step to say culture is an emergent property of leaders imprinted beliefs (in what good looks like, and thus, the decisions they make). Summary: Culture = Leaders' beliefs, which are presented via language. Culture change = a change to leaders language and beliefs.

Identify your values: Take the time to reflect on your personal values. What principles and beliefs are important to you? Consider what motivates you, what you prioritize in your work and life, and what you consider to be ethical and meaningful. Understand organizational culture: Reflect on the culture of your organization. What are its core values, mission, and vision? How do these align with your own values? Consider the behaviors, norms, and expectations that are prevalent in the organization. Identify gaps and overlaps: Compare your personal values with the values of the organization. Identify any gaps or overlaps between the two.

Identify your own values. Determine your core values, which is something you find the most important in life, and what your purpose in life is. Think about the future of the organization and see if you can see yourself working with it in the future. If your values aren’t consistent with the organizational values, you might have to think about a career change. examples of core values : integrity, discipline, respect, accountability, and others

OK so I completely disagree with the AI opening line. Cultural fit is NOT a game of SNAP where the more matching pairs of things there are (betweeen the organisations and the individuals values) the higher the 'score'. Values are emotionally, energy rich ideas about what matters most. No two people are identical in their pattern of values. Alignment between my/your unique values and what is core in the organisation is about connection and chime. Suppose company values 'innovation' but I value 'play': if innovation is a curious exploration of potentiality these values coexist harmoniously. Or I and company value 'respect': I mean 'treat everyone decently' and it means 'show deference to elders/betters' - we will quarrel. Meaning matters!

My experience of working with thousands of people over many years is that we have much more in common than we do that separates us. The premise of all of these questions is framed around the individual, suggesting that is where the change, if any is required. I find this to be an invalid premise to begin with. Much more important a question is how does an organisation make sure it is aligning with the values of its people. How do management and staff ensure that their work practices reinforce and support positive values. It doesn't really matter what those values are. In my view it is much more likely that the organisation needs to adapt and fit cultural practice to align with the people who work in the company, the vision and mission.

Cultural Fit measures compatibility between person (P) and organization (O). Ideally expectations and demands match reciprocal, so that both sides are satisfied (P-O-fit). If P-O-fit is given, individuals and organisation should perceive themselves more like as being attractive as a potential employee / employer, they should select more likely to work with each other, and will engage more likely in attrition, as soon as the fit is no longer congruent. Conclusion: cultural fit results in higher engagement, commitment & performance. Therefore, it is a key performance indicator within retention & recruiting decisions from both sides: employee / candidate vs. organization.

I believe that organizations should evaluate candidates to be culture fit before deciding whether they are job fit. Whether it is my own team or that of my client's, whenever we have ignore the red flags (or possibly missed them) in culture alignment, the relationship has not been fruitful or lasted long. Cultural alignment is never a one-way evaluation. Candidates should evaluate whether the organization is a culture fit for them too. If you work in an environment that is not conducive with your value system then very unlikely that you will perform at your optimum level

The term of cultural fit refers to the extent to which I am aligned with my organization's values and behavioral norms. It is also a super popular recruitment strategy. People tend to blend in more easily than people who are "different" in some way. Of course this has an effect on personal satisfaction, engagement, onboarding time, ... However - there is a dark side to the topic of cultural fit. It creates kind of monocultures in organizations and we miss cognitive diversity and enrichment in our work. For me it is more about the cultural contribution or the cultural add. Reflecting, respecting and protecting values and ethics remains essential, but it also about offering something new for the organization to feel valued and recognized.

Don’t. If your values are misaligned, look for a new job. Don’t stay where your values are challenged every day, choose a job where you can sleep well at night knowing that you have contributed to making the world just a little bit better that day.

There’s a moment in all our careers when we feel a lurch in the pit of our stomachs. Sometimes it is at interviews or sometimes it’s during our employment. This lurch is a warning sign from our values to say they are not being honoured. But how many of us ignore this feeling because we can’t afford to financially or because we have been taught to ignore our instincts and intuition? Self reflection is key here. Cast your mind back and think about scenarios that triggered your values lurch. What are your patterns? My core value is authenticity. Whether I like your behaviour or not if it’s real and authentic I can accept it. I also show up in this way. How do you show up? And what does it mean in relation to organisational values?

A great exercise I run in organisations is to invite every person to reflect on what each value means to them. What does this value mean to you? What behaviours and beliefs do you have now that support this value? What more could you do to support this value? Opening up self-reflection in this way allows people the space to engage with each value authentically. Telling people what to think and feel doesn’t work.

If you find yourself in an organization that upholds commendable values like integrity, respect, service, or sustainability, consider reflecting on whether these values also resonate in your personal life. Take respect and integrity, for instance. Self-reflection involves being honest with yourself and acknowledging instances where your actions may not align with these values at work. Rather than feeling ashamed, use occasions where these values are discussed or demonstrated by others as a coaching tool to instill these positive values in yourself. You will be doing more good for yourself than for anyone else.

Reflecting on your values can serve as a compass, guiding you to align with the organizational culture by fostering a deeper understanding of how your principles harmonize with the company's mission and ethos.

This is so very typical of an AI generated paragraph & advice ... Values, beliefs, principles etc., are subjective terms we use to loosely describe neurological activity, imprinted / conditioned, by years of exposure to sensory stimulus. Self-reflection is a complex web of brain processing activities, necessarily engaging multiple other neural circuits, that link into issues of self-concept, confidence, fear response from early years imprinting accidents etc., for the AI algorithm to 'assume' (exercise it's hierarchical temporal programming) that a set approach to asking oneself a few questions is effective, it must have found such advice on the training database: all this proves is that the blind continue to lead the blind

Apologies to the AI but I do not like this statement either. Values are ideas which sit in the limbic circuitry of our brain so they are in the unconscious where are no language centres. In their raw state values exist as energies pushing us towards some things or away from others: heart-felt NOT head-thought. Reflecting by 'naming' three values limits us to ideas for which we already have vocabulary and is vulnerable to 'social desirability bias' essentially describing a 'best' self rather than 'whole' self. Instead try connecting with how your body feels when remembering past events or imagining things you might try. What makes your heart sing? What makes it sink? Review these stories for patterns or themes - that's where values show up

Don’t. If your values are misaligned, look for a new job. Don’t stay where your values are challenged every day, choose a job where you can sleep well at night knowing that you have contributed to making the world just a little bit better that day.

Self reflection is quite important tool for understanding how the individual is fitting with company's culture. Individuals can change corporate culture positively and also the other way around, nevertheless corporate culture should be realistic and not just a slogan, thus individuals can reflect and match. In many cases, it's always easier said than done!

The response here is very much written from the perspective of the organisation and achieving a perfect fit. However, one area the individual should consider through self-reflection is whether the organisation's culture is a fit for the individual! We have all worked somewhere where aspects of the organisation's culture do not sit comfortably with us. The organisation is not perfect! Particularly at a career-crossroads the self-reflection process can be utilised to gauge just how well the culture fits and assess what cultural goals you ascribe to. These may then form a part of a future job search seeking out an organisation that has a better fit for YOUR culture.

One largely unspoken benefit of self-reflection for cultural alignment is knowing when something is not for you. People tend to focus the self-reflection technique on how you can make things work between an already established culture in an organization and someone that is not thriving in it, but the other side of the coin is that you might find out that, objectively, that culture is not for you, and you should leave. I was part of a company once where I tried my utmost best to succeed and grow, and most people noticed and valued that, but it was never enough. I tried getting advice from the mentors, colleagues, leaders, until a senior leader told me:"this company is not for everyone and you will not change it". So... know when to leave!

If individuals and/or organization have not identified their values, beliefs & attitudes, they won't be able to select the right people / environments that boost satisfaction, engangement & emotional commitment. Focussing on rational aspects only, will lead to a calculative and that way instable or short-term commitment. On the contrary, organizations with a clear purpose and shaped corporate culture, will provide an emotional bond & desirable social identity for those, who match with these values. Those who don't match, will not applicate (candidates) or will leave (employees). This is much more cost-saving and efficient for organizations than trying to convince somebody over and over again of something who does not believe in anyway.

Your personal priority values are unique - no one else is quite like you. There are no 'right' or 'wrong' values, no 'best' set of values to hold. Every value (emotionally rich, energy laden idea about what matters most) you hold is there to serve. Values help us navigate uncertainty, make sense of the world, take decisions and form relationships. Values are closely interwoven with sense of self: 'who' we see ourselves as being. It is true that working for an organisation where some of our priority values and the business nature/approach align supports our mental and physical health. Living our values is key to feeling that life is worthwhile. A sense of 'knowing' what those values are to help us act upon them consciously is good too.

Self-reflection throughout new job, career change, in-role unsettling, and the multitude of different stages (within the organization and in life - they both can and likely will fit organizational alignment). Knowing who you are, what you stand for, and what your priorities are can be refined through ongoing self-reflection. Then, it’s the review of the environment to see if the space, people, mission, and priorities are in enough alignment overall for a relationship that benefits both the individual and the organization (ideally neither at expense of the other).

I agree with the generally take-down responses of contributors to this. 1) It's not fit, but clash-avoidance you are after. 2) most people haven't taken the time to examine their values and so only realise what they truly are when their workplaces demand something that clashes. 3) We shouldn't recruit to cultural fit unless we're keen on a dull and stifling monoculture with no life and growth. 4) We should take time to work with candidates to explore and uncover their values and see if we are 'fellow travellers' - that we might have different values that don't clash and generally chime.

Organizational culture undeniably shapes the way we collaborate and innovate. In my experience, a culture that encourages open communication and values diverse perspectives is crucial for fostering innovation. It's about creating a space where every voice is heard and valued, leading to more creative solutions and a stronger, more inclusive team.

Emphasis must also be placed on the construction of what Sch?n, in his celebrated volume The Reflective Practitioner, calls the key meta-competence within complex contexts such as modern ones. Indeed, reflexivity is an epistemology of practice that allows for reflection in the course of action, which enriches and overcomes theory-practice dualism. Without intentionality and reflexivity, one finds oneself navigating by sight within a very complex scenario and one that has repeatedly shown underlying effectiveness in adapting and enriching skills to provide a response to market and outside world demands. We must completely redesign spaces and times, toward a much stronger and more defined direction and intentionality of the relationship.