Finding Your Rhythm: Aligning Who You Are with What You Do

Think back to a time when you tried on a pair of shoes that weren’t your size. With each step, there was an unmistakable discomfort — something just didn’t feel right. Each step felt awkward and unfamiliar, serving you a constant reminder that these shoes were not tailored to fit the unique contours of your feet. You might have felt the urge to take them off and find shoes that fit perfectly, allowing you to walk with ease and confidence.

Alignment, much like the ideal pair of shoes, is about finding that seamless fit between your personal essence and your practice as an OD professional. It’s the melody of dancing through life as your whole self. As Adam Grant (American organizational philosopher) wisely articulated in a published opinion piece, to be your authentic, true self is to bridge your inner convictions and your outward expression. When who you are and what you do embrace each other, together, they bring about a spring in your step and a genuine sense of purpose to your journey.

This notion of the “right fit” has been a recurring theme in stories and fairytales spun across generations. It’s a concept that speaks to the courage it takes to know and pursue what “feels right.” Yet, for so many of us, life often transforms into a struggle of fitting into something that simply does not belong to us. We’d rather fasten the laces on a pair of ill-fitting shoes and sprint and stumble our way to the finishing line than pause to ponder if the journey we’re on is in sync with our own rhythm.

For us, as OD practitioners, the question of alignment takes center stage in our work. We weave this inquiry into the fabric of organizations we partner with, nurturing an environment where systems harmonize seamlessly. We view organizations holistically, guiding them to align their inner mechanisms, processes, and culture with their outer work. In our quest to facilitate this harmony and transformation for others, how often do we look inwards to facilitate the same for ourselves? Shouldn’t the alignment we champion externally also resonate within us, and guide us towards a more harmonious and fulfilling journey?

As we explore the concept of alignment, let’s dive into the power of finding our own shoes, and the steps that lead into a path of authenticity and fulfillment:

“We always think of an origin story, not an evolution story.”- Soumya

Let’s begin with a simple question: how many stories can you think of that have really withstood the test of time? If you’re able to count them on the fingers of one hand, the answer probably lies in the fact that, even today, we constantly retell classics and build our own narratives around them. When you consider this carefully, you realize that, throughout history, most stories have predominantly focused on two core aspects of their characters: ‘Where is my character currently?’ and ‘Why are they here?’ While these questions are important in providing us insights about the immediate state of the characters, what they don’t take into account is ‘how did the character get here?’ ‘where are they headed?’ and ‘why are they headed there?’ While the answers to these questions might not always seem within our reach, it does not mean they’re not worth looking for.

Even as OD practitioners while we guide organizations to envision their future, we often find ourselves getting entangled in the present, focusing on the immediate and the more tangible aspects of our own lives. What we need is to intentionally construct our narrative around what we’re seeking in life and why. Our sense of purpose is what serves as our guiding compass, enabling us to navigate the complexities of our journey. It helps us discern what to say yes to and what to decline, what to enable and what to abstain from. By anchoring ourselves in our essence, we empower our decision-making process and chart a course that aligns with who we truly are

“The universe is a vast system of exchange. Every artery of it is in motion, throbbing with reciprocity, from the planet to the rotting leaf.” — Edwin Hubbell Chapin

At the heart of our profession lies the profound realization that each entity, regardless of its scale, is intricately woven into the fabric of this universe. It’s an interplay between the self and the system — just as we influence the systems we engage with, they, in turn, shape us.

Cultivating humility is crucial because it helps us understand that the changes we set in motion also affect our own journey. As we guide organizations toward positive change, we’re also influenced by the changes we bring. This humility keeps us aware of the ongoing process of aligning our values and goals with the world around us.

While the late organizational psychologist Edgar Schein’s work has emphasized the importance of humility in our profession for many decades, humility as a quality has only begun to be recognized within the organizational realm over the past decade. It has emerged as an essential virtue in the field of OD, representing an underexplored territory.

Recent research on humility within organizational contexts indicates that it encompasses three interrelated yet distinct dimensions: the aspiration to attain a nuanced awareness of self, the openness to learn from others, and the expansion of oneself to encompass others and nurture a sense of interconnectedness.

Just as the natural world operates on the principle of reciprocity, where every element, from the planets to the tiniest leaf, engages in a continuous exchange of energy and resources, so too does our work as OD professionals intersect with the larger organizational and societal ecosystems. We are not isolated agents but integral components of the intricate web of relationships and interactions. This awareness, rooted in humility, must fuel our commitment to align our values with our practice. It must remind us that our actions are not isolated but are part of a greater whole, and can have far-reaching effects in the organizational ecosystem.

By now we must have come to recognize that the self is the most potent instrument in building authentic relationships, both with our clients and ourselves. How, then, do we ensure that we continually refine this instrument?

Guided by the wisdom of American philosopher John Dewey, who famously said, “We do not learn from experience, we learn from reflecting on experience,” we delve into the practice of reflection.

Reflection serves as a fundamental metacognitive ability that enables learners to build understanding and actively participate in their learning journey. It helps us think about our own thinking. Think of the act of reflection as peering into a mirror — a way to look back at your experiences, the world around you, and your role within it. Just as a mirror offers a clearer view of your physical form on a regular basis, structured reflection provides on-going insight into your experiences, helping you make sense of them and harmonize your essence with your place in the world.

Did you notice something? Much like we compared alignment to finding a comfortable pair of shoes and humility to the principle of reciprocity within the universe, we now likened structured reflection to the act of gazing into a mirror. These metaphors don’t just live within this piece but they exist all around us. As human beings, we are thinking in metaphors all the time. They serve as powerful tools that help us paint vivid mental pictures and allow us to understand novel situations by associating them with images and ideas that we are already familiar with. This bridge of familiarity allows us to explore our roles, actions, and experiences in a much more meaningful and insightful way.

In the intricate dance of life, finding your rhythm and aligning who you are with what you do is an ever-evolving journey. As you consider building that path for yourself remember this: the right pair of shoes not only hold the power to help you confidently sway to your own tunes but also invite others to follow suit. At the end of the day, would you rather be surrounded by a room full of dancing people or a room full of people who refuse to hear the music because they’re too caught up in racing to the finish line?