“Where Do I Fit?” Why This Question Matters and How to Address It With Your Team
““Where do I fit” is an important question for helping your team members find their place in your organization.”
I recently realized when I ask new people where they live, it's not because I want cultural context or clues about their socioeconomic status (Massachusetts towns have reputations!) It’s because I actually need to pin them on a mental map in my head to ground my new connection. Until I ask this question, the person is floating around, untethered.
It's a very similar dynamic with rising leaders outside the C-Suite, who want to feel grounded and tethered inside their organization. At some point, almost every leader we coach asks, “where do I fit?”
Helping your team members conceptualize their place on the organizational map may sound tactical or uninteresting, but it is actually a very important part of creating a sense of belonging in your rising leaders.
Let's unpack “where do I fit”, and explore essential follow-up questions to ask your team.
Where do I fit now?
Answering this question will help your rising leaders focus on their role, impact and goals in the present moment. This encourages self-awareness, full participation and allows the autonomy they need to make intentional, strategic decisions for their career.
Team Reflection Questions:
What is my unique contribution to my team and organization?
What do people think of me and rely on me for?
Why am I in the department I'm in, on the team I'm on?
Where do I fit in 3 - 5 years?
Part of tapping intrinsic motivation is helping your rising leaders see how they could grow, and where they need to move within your organization to achieve that growth. Even if they ask about promotions and titles, contributing meaningfully in a way that challenges and rewards them is often their primary driver. Yes, money might also be an important factor, but don't assume it's the only or most important factor.
Team Reflection Questions:
Which parts of my role align best with my strengths?
Who do I see in the organization working in ways I’d like to be working in a few years?
Am I making a difference here?
Your team is naturally purpose-driven and values-driven. They want to believe they’re making a valuable contribution, and if they realize they’re not they might feel untethered to their work.
Team Reflection Questions:
Does my work contribute something meaningful to my immediate team, the department and then the organization as a whole?
Can I see firsthand how my work is plugging in to the value getting created?
Do I belong here?
This is a feeling that sums up the previous three questions. Your rising leaders should be able to answer yes to these questions.
Team Reflection Questions:
Is there a place for me that feels like the right fit now, and in the future?
Do I feel seen?
Can I relate to my team in the ways needed for our mission?
steps to take today to support your rising leaders and address their “where do I fit” question:
1. Appreciate where this question is coming from.
It’s a blend of the human need to belong crossed with ambition. You want leaders who are proactively asking this question, even if the execution ends up sounding more like a whiny, "when do I get my promotion?" Assume they're really asking: “can you help me see where I fit and how will I grow into more of who I know I can be?”
2. Draw an organizational map that allows your rising leaders to see their place on the team.
This map clarifies their roles and helps them understand their bigger picture leadership development and career path.
3. Be transparent about succession planning and the vision for your organization.
There is a way to talk about where you see your rising leaders in 3 - 5 years without promising or guaranteeing something. Figure that out.
The reason many senior leaders don't support the “where do I fit” question as often as they could is partly because there are fewer positions at the "top." On a given team, members are supposed to work together, but they’re also simultaneously competing for the boss's job. The key to navigating these win-lose dynamics is to reframe the discussion around inclusive, creative development opportunities and progress.
4. Regularly acknowledge the value each leader brings to the team.
This, if done sincerely with specificity, will have more meaning than the job title.
Conclusion
Most rising leaders outside the C-Suite are asking, “where do I fit?”, is a double-edged question as these leaders just want to feel progress, value and belonging, while their superiors assume it’s a complaint or an ask for a promotion.
When these convos around organizational belonging and progress are done right and tap into integrative thinking, your team will find connection, motivation and a long-term vision for how they can grow at their company.
Leaders, if you’re looking to enhance your integrative thinking skills that will enable you to help your team get clear on where they fit, let’s talk.
