Changing Your V.O.I.C.E.

There is something interesting about change. Sometimes we see change as a negative occurrence to which we are resistant. At other times we can see change as an opportunity that we can take hold of to make a difference. It is the latter approach to change which is common when we change jobs or move to a new environment.

It seems that when we experience change that is self imposed we react to those changes in a positive light. Of course this statement is by no means profound as changes that we create for ourselves should be viewed positively. We see this kind of change as another chance to make things right or to undo things that we perceived as not working in the past. During such times we may experience a sort of personal makeover to create for ourselves the person that we now want to become.

Sometimes a personal makeover is more than buying new clothes or changing our style of dress. There are times when while experiencing our personal metamorphosis we take a look at our behaviors and make decisions to change those too. This works well when we are talking about bad behaviors like failing to exercise, eating poorly, or smoking. Any time we can take an opportunity to make positive lifestyle changes we experience very positive results. But what about times when we make decisions to change parts of our personality or work style? What happens when a person that was once meek becomes aggressive? Or when someone that was shy becomes bold? People have a way of making changes to their persona when they believe that the way they behaved in the past will not serve them positively in the future.

Sometimes changes in our persona are not changes created by our conscious decisions. Like creatures in nature we humans at times adapt to our environment. Take for example the stuffed shirt business type that suddenly finds themselves working for a laid back technology company. In that case the stuffed shirt must adapt their work style to fit in to the organization. As another example consider a person that finds themselves in an aggressive environment where everyone wants to be heard and you are judged not by what you do but how you position yourself. What sort of changes would that impose?

I learned recently of a case where a person went to work for a Fortune 500 company that is rated among the greatest companies in the world. The company is noted for their processes, business theories, and their leadership capacity. As an outsider many people would aspire to work for this world class organization. However, once inside, you learn that like many companies the company does not always live up to its reputation. On the inside you find yourself working among petty and spiteful people. The culture turns out to be aggressive but not for the sake of business progress, but rather purely for personal advancement. Inside such a company you find a level of incestuous activity that only breeds distrust. To succeed in such an environment you become like everyone else. You keep your cards close to the breast. You create and protect turf, and you eventually lose your own sense of values and begin to ascribe to the shared values of the organization.

We might look at this situation and conclude that this is only what is necessary to survive. We might easily dismiss this as the kind of thing that is necessary in order to succeed in the business world. What could be more normal? Is this really normal? Should a change of jobs result in a change in values? Should we morph when we become part of a new culture becoming more like a chameleon that changes colors based on the surrounding environment? While this might well be normal and perhaps we could assume even necessary to survive in a new culture I want to suggest that there is another way.

Each of us that have ever attended an interview remembers the preparation that we engaged in to get ready. We clean ourselves up and put on our best suit. We study the company and think through hypothetical questions and answers to show our knowledge of the company and diversity in our thinking. We remind ourselves of our basic manners and try to be engaging, intelligent and even a bit witty if the opportunity presents itself. Note that we do not reconsider our basic values in advance of the interview. We do not make a decision to become more aggressive, or lose our ability to be thoughtful. We do not in preparing for an interview decide to become a different person we only decide to make sure that the interviewer can see the person that we are in a positive light.

It is very tempting and perhaps all too easy to adapt to a new organization. As we seek to survive in a different culture we can take on the personality of the organization. Yet, in doing so that is when we lose our voice. Part of what makes a person attractive to an organization, is the freshness in that person’s perspective. We usually forget that who we are wins friends and influences people. While we all can agree that making the right impression is the thing to do initially, changing who we are in order to adapt is not.

We are each so very unique and bring to our situations our perspectives and ideas. What makes companies and organisms thrive is constant renewal. New people with new ideas and new approaches keep companies fresh. To the extent that we lose that freshness and begin to conform to everyone else we sell ourselves short and we no longer serve the company well. This is not to suggest that all newcomers should be mavericks or outcasts. Getting along is always the required minimum for playing in any sandbox. Yet never lose your fresh perspective or change positive values for the sake of conformity. If your values don’t fit the organization, live your values anyway.

Every organization has a unique culture. This is part of the social chemistry. The chemistry always changes when anyone new is added. When we find ourselves in a new environment we are faced with a choice. Do we desire to blend in and become like everyone else, or do we bring our unique voice to the mix. I hope that in every case we remember to always maintain our unique voice. The sound may be different from the rest, but harmony is never achieved with identical voices. Harmony is achieved when we successfully blend different voices and emphasize those differences when they are needed most.

Once you have found your V.O.I.C.E. never lose it in the crowd.