Going around discovering Silicon Valley exploring places to work on my next professional role and evolving Ramen Girl Don’t Hesitate, the energy of a room can play a huge role in our enthusiasm. I am grateful to have lived in Columbus, Ohio; able to cultivate a spirit of vision, volunteerism, willingness, adaptability, earnestness and resilience. For this, I cannot emphasize enough how thankful I am for my life and that experience of being far away from home and having this inner drive to be with my family. I am now in the San Francisco Bay Area to dig deeper, expand, learn and reimagine the next chapters of my life. If you are reading this reflection, I hope it moves you to tap into your unique and beautiful power and evolve into your own wings well. It will be epic.
As I search and learn about dream teams and unicorn companies to work for, I reflect about “am I going to be a good fit?” What do we notice about this? Is this the question to ask ourselves if we want to find those fellow individuals that work together to better lives? I see that by thinking in the way of “culture fit” can only keep us in one place and not allowing us to take the leap into the beautiful unknown…for our self to grow. We may become risk-averse when we think “fit” especially if we want to create new opportunities. With culture fit, we are limited by our bias. If we are innovating, we need people who think differently. People are amazing, and every individual has the power to add. The role may be selling a product or developing a product, creating a solution, implementing a process, you fill in the blank. Our job is to learn to tap into ourselves (not the external) to build something incredible and practice empowering interactions. So do you think culture fit is what we want if we want to move mountains? It may have been a good way back then, nothing is forever certain but we are continually evolving. That is the beauty of our minds and our hearts. Everyone wants to belong in something greater than themselves. Every individual has value. It is up to us to radiate. We have the power to make the lives of people wonderful. At the same time, we have the power to make people miserable. If you ask someone next to you, what do you want to see in the world? What answer do you get? These are opportunities for connection. Our perspectives and value have the power to impact people’s lives. Our bias can be like blinders that only allows us to see what we want to look at which limits our perspective. So thinking openly and creatively, we want to build a team of individuals who think differently from ourselves; welcoming ideas and challenges to grow. This is thriving. Allowing for questions, dissent, play, creates a safe space of great opportunities of trust, good vibes, and ultimately, beautiful evolution and innovation. Organizations that allow for differences and work to find agreement and solutions have the power to create positive impact beyond the bottom line. What are we selling? We are not just selling products, but ultimately we are selling a profound message. Take a look the companies you support and I am not only talking about companies…how about our favorite basketball team. Do we see how they are created by incredible teams of individuals? It is: Notice each player. Celebrate the strengths. They have a shared purpose.
How amazing it would be to create a space or environment where we radiate? Fitting in keeps things the same and comfortable, fixed. So it’s a small step and a shift in mindset. It is embracing one’s uniqueness. It is self care and deep respect. It is not seeking from an external source. Find ways to cultivate trust within oneself and keep learning new things. My motto I can add: No matter how small. It is an opportunity. It is celebrating differences that are a high culture add to a team. That is a beautiful risk we take in finding what we want and how to make a positive impact in the world. That can be a startup, a non-profit, yourself, you fill in the blank.
Here’s something to spark curiosity within and play with ideas on culture-add: Optimal distinction, Perspective, Rituals, Heuristics, Shared Purpose.
Further learning: Why Not?
LinkedIn Learning: Shane Snow “Building your dream team”
Glassdoor: Hire Fearlessly: Pursue Cultural Add Over Cultural Fit
PSA: Support our local coffee shops and tip graciously, especially when we are using Wifi and electricity.
I hope this post brought joy to you and empowers you to go for your dreams and create impact no matter how small. Much love.
