Fit Really Matters

I sit on a diversity and inclusion committee for a member organization, and we coordinated a panel discussion comprised of leaders with various attributes (gender, ethnicity, personality types, and journeys to their current roles)... and one of the panelists told a story that resonated with me so much and affirmed a past experience, that I nearly got emotional listening to them...

This person was extremely smart, talented, ambitious, and excelled throughout their professional career. Almost like clockwork, they were moving up the ranks from organization to organization, doing great work and looking for the next natural professional opportunity.

On one stop along their professional journey, they decided to accept an offer to work for organization "Y", because it included the job title and money they were looking for... but shortly after working there, this person started to notice that they weren't enthusiastic about coming to work and being the catalyst for change as they had been in previous positions. They were constantly being scrutinized by higher ups, and this was very baffling and frustrating, because they never encountered anything like this in their professional life. They were working just as hard, if not harder, but their work and output never seemed good enough.

What they started to realize after a few years is that this organization's mission, culture, and upper management's expectations did not align with theirs. The company focused on profits above all else, and was very formal and cold in terms of culture and collegial interaction... and this person's strengths and passion aligned with relationship building, meaningful interpersonal interactions with clients, and retention.

Because they wanted to prove to themselves and others that they were competent and capable, they suppressed their gut feeling regarding the clear issue of "fit", and stayed at this position for nearly 5 years before it became unbearable, and they decided to leave. When they went to discuss this with upper management, they discovered that they too felt it was time to part ways.

This person has now been the President of an organization for several years... and they are thriving, well respected, and well liked.

1. None of us are good at everything... and that's ok. Embrace your strengths, learn from your weaknesses.
2. Be in tune with yourself both personally and professionally. Listen to that inner voice. We all have one and it's usually right.
3. Find a job that is in line with your strengths, values, and beliefs, and willing to help you grow.
4. Always believe in yourself, because alot of the time, it's not you... it's simply not the right fit.

CEO and Founder of The Bernard Group, Gregory Bernard is the Director of Alumni Relations for UConn's College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, specializing in alumni leadership development, volunteer cultivation, affinity group management, and most notably, program logistics/execution.

With over 10 years of experience in student and alumni affairs combined, Gregory has sat on the ‘Crossroads in Communication’ panel hosted by Southern Connecticut State University, on several occasions, and received certification in Conflict Resolution and Mediation Training at the annual Donald D. Gehrig Competency Seminar at ASCA (Academy for Student Conduct Administrators).

He has been a featured speaker for seminars on leadership, diversity, advanced communication techniques, and career preparation.

Gregory earned both his Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Organizational Communication and Management from Southern Connecticut State University and Central Connecticut State University, respectively.