How to Foster an Inclusive Environment for Yourself...
Finding a cultural fit requires a variety of different factors: knowing yourself, how to define culture, how to interpret culture from other interpretations, choosing what you want in culture, and what cultural attributes you will thrive in. That’s a lot to think about, assess, and analyze!
Cultural fits are not relegated to graduate school laboratories as we have previously focused on. You have cultural fits in all aspects of your career, both professional and personal. Professional can be defined by cultural aspects in undergrad, graduate, or other networking areas. Personal could be described by clubs, organizations, roommates, just to name a few.
We at STEM From value the opportunity to reflect on you as a person, what you desire in a culture, and the opportunities provided to you in various cultures through a variety of means. Reflection is a powerful tool in your tool chest to think through during your decision-making journey. As part of all the courses that we offer, we support students of all ages to reflect on cultures that have enabled you to grow as a student and human.
For example, as I reflect on the key cultural aspects of what I desired for my graduate school endeavors I wanted independence, emotional support, and freedom to explore research as it comes to me.
Now that I have progressed beyond graduate school, I can reflect on those things that are important as I build my career and enjoy the journey. Being offered a position is a huge opportunity for many individuals. Yes, being offered the position is positive, but the individual cannot make the decision solely based on salary and benefits. One must also consider the team, people's culture, and if you will be successful in this environment:
Is the team supportive?
Does the team meet at a regular frequency?
Are there opportunities that I can forge friendships with folks?
All these things are inherently tied to culture, especially in the working world.
The last piece is about defining culture. The definition of culture can vary between individuals and is inherent to what a person wants to emphasize and enjoy along the journey. I define it as the interaction points between individuals and teams. Are the interaction points usually positive? Negative? Circular? Toxic? Respectful? One needs to know this before they jump into a new role, group, or school. Without knowing it with eyes wide open creates issues downstream which you would otherwise be wise to avoid. For the time being, reflect on what you want and aim for a culture that is well in line with that.
Feel free to leave a comment with your thoughts on finding the best cultural fit for you. Do you need an inclusive environment to thrive?
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