Q: My organization is very clique-y and I feel like I stick out like a sore thumb. Why can’t I fit in?
A: You are in luck today. Everyone can claim to be Irish on St. Patrick’s Day and in addition to the green beer, corn beef and cabbage we can focus on the importance of respecting that context and culture are intertwined. Cliques are cultural phenomena that you can learn to decode to fit in.
Keeping with the spirit of the day, here is what I learned about St. Patrick:
His personal story is compelling—at sixteen he was kidnapped from Britain by Irish pirates and taken to Ireland; he was sold to a local chieftain and served six years of slavery. He endured solitary deprivation tending swine—pigs. (That is why I have a warm place in my heart for St. Patrick: I was raised on a pig farm in the midst of a strong Irish community.) Patrick found solace in his conversation with God.
Escaping to Britain, he was called to the priesthood and returned to Ireland for his 
ministry. And, it is not a myth that he used the shamrock to explain the Trinity. It’s folklore that St. Patrick drove the snakes from Ireland. But by speaking the language and understanding the local customs, St. Patrick successfully converted thousands and came to be known as the Apostle of Ireland.
- How well do you know the culture of your organization?
- How fluent are you in finance—the language of business?
- Do you feel like a foreigner in a foreign land? If yes, why?
- What challenges have your overcome and what did you learn?
- Do you take the time to reflect? Meditate?
- What’s trending in your sector?
- Are you adapting and adjusting your skills and style to your context/culture?
St. Patrick’s approach remains relevant today: he was fluent in the language, respectful of the culture and incorporated local customs into his Church teaching. He was a foreigner in a foreign land that he embraced as his own.
What actions are you taking to belong?