How To Fit In Without Blending In

By Robin Fisher Roffer

Getting too entrenched in the company culture can be deadly to your personal brand.

I am writing this week’s blog aboard a train travelling from Milan to Rome. The journey has made me think about the expression “When in Rome,” which means to act like a local when in a foreign situation. Does this wisdom apply if you’ve joined a new company or moved to a new city or started work in a new industry? I think it does, but only to a point.

Every time I take on a new client, I have to completely immerse myself in their world. I interview all the top executives, learn to speak their language and operate like one of the team. However, because I’m tasked with finding out what’s working and what’s not in order to reignite my client’s brand, I have to maintain my perspective.

To find your way in, embrace aspects of the culture that resonate with your personal brand.

My nephew Jori — who graduated from Northwestern yesterday — will have to use this same approach. Next week he’ll move to San Francisco and start a new position at a start-up as a software engineer. To be successful, he’ll have to adopt a West Coast mindset and operate like a dotcom entrepreneur. At the same time, he’ll have to bring his own unique style and way of thinking to the job in order to stand out.

Here are three things Jori must do to master this balancing act and what you’ll need to do the next time you’re in a new situation:

1. Be A Cultural Detective

Your detective work should begin before you ever enter the culture. If you are going for a new job, visit the company’s web site or Wikipedia page, study its products, people and mission statement, and read about its vision. Once you land the position or project, locate the company historian, the one who’s been there for years. Take that person to lunch and ask questions about the company, its policies, and its culture. Explain that you want to make a difference, and ask for advice.

2. Hold On To Your Style

Giving up your look can be like giving up your soul. That’s why when I go to a business meeting or give a speech I consider my audience and dress in a way that is respectful to them. When I’m in the South, I wear color. While in New York, I’m in a black dress or suit. On the West Coast jeans and a jacket. No matter the area or the type of business, I make sure to accessorize in a way that lets people know I’m creative and worldly. It’s important to adhere to customs and even embrace them as your own as long as you don’t change so much for others that you no longer recognize yourself in the mirror.

3. Make Some Waves

When I was in my 20s, I would get into a new job and immediately want to change the company overnight. However, when I got to Turner Broadcasting, I found that things moved slowly and there was less flexibility. Luckily, I had a boss who taught me how to pick my battles wisely. Instead of being seen as a rebel, I chose projects that would define the brands I represented, and in turn build my reputation as an innovator. Having this kind of filter will keep you on a career path that brings you recognition.

When you enter a new work situation, make sure that you maintain your individuality within the existing corporate culture. Being too much of an outsider will keep you from making a positive difference. Being too much of an insider will diminish your creativity. Bottom line… when in Rome, do like the Romans, but don’t lose yourself in their world.

Remember who you are and what you stand for so that you don’t dilute your personal brand.