It’s a New Year! Do Better or Move Along.

If you’re like many employees, you may have taken some time off at the end of 2019, and you may just be returning to work.  You may have spent your time with loved ones, doing things you missed out on doing because of your work schedule, or simply spending time contemplating what kind of person and employee you want to be in the new year.  So many times, with a little time off, we are able to readjust, find our purpose, and go back to work rejuvenated and with a more positive (or less toxic) attitude.

So what do you do when you’ve committed to evolving but you’re employer, and your company culture, hasn’t?

You should continue to be your best and stick with your personal goals. This won’t be easy, at all, but through the process, you will see that it’s NOT you. At all. It’s them.  You should also not expect that your employer has done the same introspective work as you over the holidays. You may be on different timelines.  (Or you may actually have a timeline and they don’t.). Sometimes it helps to break things down, see things from your employer’s perspective.

Do Better or Move Along

So many companies these days give their employees three options for fitting into the company culture.  It’s not likely that this has changed just because we are in a new year.  (If it has changed, I’m really happy for you!  Sincerely.). Your employer and company culture may give you the following options to choose from if you want to continue working there.

1. Blend In- Be just like the rest of the people that work here.  This breeds complacency.
2. Stand Out-  Be just like the rest of the people that work here, but be the BEST at being like everyone else.  This breeds superiority complexes.
3. Move Along- If you can’t Blend In or Stand Out, you should probably find somewhere else to work. This breeds disdain.

What if there was a fourth option?

There’s a reason the fourth option isn’t really an option for companies and industries rooted in tradition, regulation, and privilege. 

4. Do Better- Take what the company is good at and make it better.  This breeds empowerment and engagement.

There’s a reason the fourth option isn’t really an option for companies and industries rooted in tradition, regulation, and privilege.  Leadership in these companies haven’t had to do anything different to achieve continued success and they define success using the same measures they always have.  Do Better means doing things differently, and different is threatening to the good ole boy network.  They don’t want to engage in different thinking because their lack of innovation and expertise will be exposed.  They don’t want to empower their employees because they think that takes some of their power away.  This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be committed to Do Better.  Just know that your company doesn’t value that and may never value you.

Would you work harder and with more passion if you were supported in your desire to Do Better? 

I think you would.  If you work for a company that doesn’t want you to Do Better, do you really want to stay there?  Don’t forget, your company is almost excited for you to take their third option, Move Along, especially if you don’t Blend In or Stand Out.  Take your expertise, your ideas, your energy to a company that encourages you to Do Better, that helps you fulfill your personal goals of being your best self.  Find the right fit for you.  It won’t be easy. Doing the right thing never is.