Why are the Best Places to Work the most Difficult for Some of Us?

I have a friend that works at a great company. The company has an organizational system that is very free form—a pretty complicated system in that a number of people may report to different supervisors depending on the issue. It can be unnerving for some. My friend was extremely uncomfortable with it.

He told me that at his previous company, it was simple—he had people that reported to him and that was that. He didn’t encroach on other people’s areas nor did they do that to him. This new company's approach was vague and unclear for him. He was concerned as to how he’d be held accountable.

I think this is a good example of the how an excellent company can be challenging to work at. That company wants people to interact, to negotiate, to deal with issues and to throw away the typical boundaries that are at most companies. They want you to look in the mirror and make sure you believe in what you’re doing—and if that company backs up what it preaches, they should also support their leaders’ decisions.

Dealing with other people, blowing up boundaries and standing up for you believe is tough but it may be what it takes to be part of a great company. It may also be why that company is great.