[jeremymcanally]

I used to feel the same way, but I don't think the idea is to abandon all your values in pursuit of success. Instead it's to figure out the system you're entering into and how to operate within it, what values of your may have to change or at least be suspended, and what new values you might have to adopt to function. You have to figure out the motivations that move the organization forward, what shadow power structures exist (because trust me, they do), and how to accomplish your job within the political and interpersonal "game" that's already in motion by the time you join. And from someone who has worked in orgs as small as 5 people up to Apple's 80k+ behemoth, one has to do this no matter the organization size.

Of course, if doing so requires you to abandon some of your core values, then perhaps that organization or job isn't a good fit for you anyhow. :)

[haswell]

I fully agree with this comment, and should clarify that I don’t mean one should ignore the environment they’re in and just expect the org to magically bend to their will.

But I’ve worked with two very different types of folks:

1. Those who understand the game, hate it, but do their best to work within it.

2. Those who love, embrace, perpetuate the most problematic elements of said game.

To me, playing the game is the latter.

Operating within the game is the former.

There are some lines I’ll never cross. But that doesn’t mean I won’t work within a challenging environment when necessary.