Most people spend a significant amount of their adulthood in a selected occupation or occupations.  Things like homemaker, doctor, teacher, banker and so on.

You might be engaged in your occupation to earn money or just for satisfaction  (e.g., enjoying the results of spending your time child rearing)

You could be self directed or taking direction from others within an organization.  In all cases your personal values and those associated with the organizational culture either map or they don’t.

If you are self directed there is a mapping of values by default.

Your Values don’t Align

Invariably value mis-alignment results in one of the four things:

1. You elect to change organization and/ or occupation.  You can initiate this or the organization might.
2. You need to change your values to align with those of the organization  (unlikely, but depending on the level of difference between your values and those of the organization – does happen)
3. Change your behavior to be consistent with the  organizations values so you fit in.  This happens regularly over the immediate term but is normally not sustainable and usually ultimately ends up with option one .  This approach can provide some breathing space as you plan out your options.
4. Work to influence change within the organization leading to a shift in values more aligned with something you can live with.  This approach requires a lot of effort and patience, but can be satisfying.

Be Self Aware

Given we spend the majority of our adult years in some occupation or a number of occupations one key factor towards ensuring ongoing happiness is early recognition  of value mismatch.

When you identify  a mismatch plan on how to deal with it (most likely one of the four options listed).  Just acknowledging the situation  to yourself and understanding how you will deal with it starts the road to serenity.

If you do end up with option one occurring, organizational rather than self initiated, just be thankfull the mismatch is ended (that is a really good thing)  and plan your next occupation/organizational move.