{"id":1968,"date":"2022-06-28T15:44:35","date_gmt":"2022-06-28T20:44:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/marketplacefaith\/?p=1968"},"modified":"2023-02-02T15:51:53","modified_gmt":"2023-02-02T20:51:53","slug":"when-you-feel-misaligned-with-your-companys-values","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/marketplacefaith\/2022\/06\/when-you-feel-misaligned-with-your-companys-values\/","title":{"rendered":"When You Feel Misaligned With Your Company’s Values"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Sanjey found VOCA from 12 time zones away. He felt that the culture of the bank where he worked was changing. He was wondering about leaving. Someone from a startup had pitched him a role. Was his growing discomfort around the values of his firm a sign it was time to go?<\/span><\/p>\n

Renee generally loved her job. The tension for her arose around overt pressure to take specific and public stands on various social issues. She felt genuine respect for all her colleagues. She felt she was able to work well with them regardless of whether or not she agreed on these outside-of-the-office social questions. But the pressure to conform was wearing her down. <\/span><\/p>\n

Nathan had worked his way up over the course of his career and now found himself one step away from the C-Suite. The closer he got to the \u201ctop,\u201d the more he disagreed with the strategic decisions the firm was making. Sometimes when he voiced his opposition to a specific approach, he felt he was penalized\u2013ignored, not given the best assignments, bonus decreased. He wondered if he was being blacklisted or if it was just his imagination. <\/span><\/p>\n

Every week, leaders share with me their doubts about the future. It\u2019s not just the future of the economy, or the war, or the social fabric of America. It\u2019s the future of their careers. They can\u2019t shake the nagging feeling that they are not headed in the same direction as the management of their company and they don\u2019t know what to do.<\/span><\/p>\n

Put simply, each of these clients was dealing with the dilemma of misalignment. As the stories highlight, these situations are complex and deeply personal, with no silver bullet answer. However, in this article, we\u2019ll explore a multi-faceted approach to answering the question: What do you do when you are at odds with your company\u2019s values, strategic priorities, or practices?<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Voca\u2019s Research<\/span><\/h2>\n

This dilemma was the fourth-most selected challenge people are facing at work in our 2021 Work Dilemmas Study and topped the list of dilemmas in our 2022 Women at Work study. The misalignment heading splits into several subgroups:<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. \n

    I don\u2019t support the political activism<\/strong> of leadership.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  2. \n

    I don\u2019t support the lack of political activism<\/strong> of leadership.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  3. \n

    My contribution and skills are not valued<\/strong> by leadership.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  4. \n

    I believe the strategic direction<\/strong> of senior management is not in the organization\u2019s best interest.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  5. \n

    I feel a \u201cboys club\u201d <\/strong>culture prevents me from having an impact or advancing my career.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    What do you do when you feel misaligned with the direction of your organization? To start, let\u2019s look at four incomplete or misguided strategies for dealing with misalignment. <\/span><\/p>\n

    <\/div>\n

    Not-So-Helpful Strategies<\/span><\/h2>\n

    The following are commonly suggested strategies and coping mechanisms for when you feel out of sync at work. Each has some value yet ultimately falls short of the \u201ctrue wisdom\u201d label.<\/span><\/p>\n

      \n
    1. \n

      Be the Change<\/strong>: This notion is attributed to Gandhi\u2013\u201cBe the change you want to see in the world.\u201d It may even have roots in Jesus\u2019 idea that the goal of learning is for the student to become like their teacher. It is possible to innovate and change the culture from the middle of the org chart but often unlikely. Practiced organizational consultants and executive coaches know the truth. Very little will change in an organization without the complete buy-in of senior leadership.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

    2. \n

      Run for the Hills<\/strong>: \u201cBe the change\u201d translates into \u201cstay and make it better.\u201d \u201cRun for the hills\u201d is to get out as fast as possible. If you don\u2019t agree with the leadership, then it is \u201cbetter\u201d for you to leave and find a place you agree with. We\u2019ve covered this in prior posts<\/u>.<\/u><\/a> Our concern is this: avoiding difficulty and challenge is becoming more broadly accepted as common sense. While sometimes the wise play, other times, we learn and grow and set ourselves up for future impact by adapting to difficult situations.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

    3. \n

      Compromise<\/strong>: \u201cBusiness is business,\u201d I\u2019ve heard friends say. Translation: \u201cDifferent rules apply when we are at work.\u201d We advocate an open mindset and a disposition of curiosity, particularly during the early stages of dealing with a disconnect or difference of opinion. But wisdom recognizes the need to \u201cfear God,\u201d meaning there will be times when the values or principles of God are at odds with those of the people around us. In these scenarios, compromise is not possible.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

    4. \n

      Vent<\/strong>: \u201cGet it off your chest in a safe space.\u201d This is a common practice for dealing with misalignment, yet rarely results in lasting relief, action-oriented strategies, or deeper understanding among diverse colleagues. The practice is often a euphemism for gossip, which is toxic to any high-performing team.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      <\/div>\n

      Wisdom for Misalignment<\/span><\/h2>\n

      So, where does wisdom come into play as we wrestle with areas of misalignment? The book of Daniel, particularly chapters one through six, is a great resource for wrestling through a lack of sync with your leadership or company culture. Read these chapters for a masterclass on dealing with this challenge. I will refer to portions of these chapters throughout the remainder of this piece.<\/span><\/p>\n

      \u00a0<\/p>\n

      Use Exilic Thinking to Find Your Bearings<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

      God-followers have found themselves at odds with people in power throughout the biblical record. Some of the richest examples of how to handle the tension with faithfulness to God AND respect to colleagues come from Daniel chapters 1-6.<\/span><\/p>\n

      When we are in an exilic environment\u2013the minority who are seeking to know and honor God\u2013it helps to clarify our expectations and our responsibility: <\/span><\/p>\n