Are you having a difficult time excelling in your business’s corporate culture? Are you in an environment where you can succeed? Whether you work for a Fortune 500, small business, or a start-up, the question remains the same.
This question is about much more than fitting in. I’m not talking about getting along with others and doing what you need to do get your job done. I’m talking about allowing your unique success attributes to come through.
If you find that you’re struggling to be fulfilled and to be valued, appreciated and substantiated, maybe it’s not you. Maybe it’s them.
I gave a presentation yesterday to the Executive Women’s Roundtable in Northern Virginia titled, “Using The Art of War to Find Your Competitive Advantage.” The focus was on how women can understand and leverage their uniquely feminine attributes for optimal success, and how to avoid trying to lead, follow or manage like “a man.”
After the presentation a woman approached a great question. What you do when you’re in a culture that doesn’t value your feminine attributes, such as collaboration, team building, sensitivity to the needs/objections of others…the list goes on and on?”
My response was simple. If you can’t change the culture and they won’t appreciate and value your real strengths, then your talent is being squandered. It doesn’t sound like it’s the right culture for her (or you).
She looked me squarely in the eyes and said something she either was realizing for the first time, or had just come to terms with: “I think that sums up my entire career.”
Wow. Of course, she’s not alone.
You are responsible for your success. Not your boss. Not your company. Not your clients or anybody else. If you aren’t maximizing your potential based on your talents and attributes, what do you need to do to change the game?
Becky Sheetz-Runkle
Becky Sheetz-Runkle is a strategic marketer, martial artist, speaker and the author of Sun Tzu for Women: The Art of War for Winning in Business. She speaks to and provides training for corporate women's business groups. She also speaks about Sun Tzu's strategy at conferences attended by men and women. Previously she was co-founder of Q2 Marketing, a technology marketing firm in the Washington, D.C., metro area. Becky has 20 years of experience in communications, public relations, copywriting and marketing strategy. She’s an expert on Sun Tzu for business, business strategy, and the challenges and attributes of women in business. She can be reached at [email protected].
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My talent has been squandered at every job I’ve had for the last three decades. None of them liked me, none of them appreciated me, all of them had issues with my personality. Some said I was too loud, some said not loud enough. Some said I spoke too much in active voice, others said I was too passive. Some said I couldn’t advance because I had no degree. So I got one, only to be told by the very next boss it wasn’t worth the paper it was printed on. None of them were happy, even when I spent thousands to do something about it. And they all questioned my heritage, every single one of them. A person can only do so much to turn themselves into someone else to make others happy. ENOUGH! So I stopped trying. I let myself be fired and I left the work force. Sometimes you just have to accept the fact you’re not going to fit anywhere. Don’t ask me what I’ll do when unemployment runs out. I just know I’ll never work for anyone else again. I don’t need to be daily told I’m a social reject.
It’s such a shame when a woman isn’t flourishing and isn’t appreciated in her job.
I feel for people in these situations I would say that not every company will be the same in the same industry – different companies will respond in different ways. When you start a company give it time to see how people respond and how you fit in – there may be a period of transition where people realise your potential in your role and understand what you offer. If you start somewhere and feel you are not being valued discuss the problem and see if it can be worked through, if things change then everything works out then the opportunities are endless but if things remain the same or get worse then it may be time to move on.
Becky is right – you are responsible for your success. That starts with defining your talents and strengths (your personal brand) and then checking for alignment with your employer. Working in an organization where you have similar values allows you to be more of who you are instead of trying to be someone different at work as so many women tend to do.
Excellent discussion. Thank you for your contributions to it. I hope you’ll keep reading!