When to fit in and when to buck the trend

Fitting in at work can be dangerous or it can fix your career path onto easy street. Should you stand out as an outspoken person socially who is professionally competent or should you keep to yourself and just get your job done with no thought as to what your co-workers think or do around you? As with most things in life the best thing to do sits somewhere in between the two extremes.

For example, at my place of work my direct supervisor just relocated to the corporate office. She is a great person with an incredible work ethic who I see as being a great resource for me. The only disadvantage is that she is a workhorse and a half. She shows up to work early and works through lunch never stopping to even go to the bathroom. My other co-worker is the exact same way, he even focuses on his work so much that I can call his name directly to the back of his head and he will have zoned me and everybody out to the point of inadvertently ignoring them. And then there is me, the social butterfly of the group who enjoys actually getting away from my desk to read at lunch or take a walk around the grounds. My entire point work philosophy is to come to work and get things done so efficiently that I don't have to stay late or come in early. In matters of work ethic I have felt that it is best that I fit in to my group and change my daily schedule to match that of my boss and co-worker because this is simply a character issue and I need to make sure that my own ability match those of my peers. Verdict, fitting in is a good idea in this case.

Socially I have chosen the complete and opposite path. The place I work at is very conservative and I will warn people that it is a good idea to stay away from religion, sex, and politics but certain co-workers seem to delight in engaging me in debate and with this I have made my mark. Recently at lunch I had an extended debate about the legalization of drugs. Needless to say I was for it and my co-workers were against it. Hilarity ensued. Nothing is more interesting than watching a young and liberal kid take on a couple of older stodgy men who are violently conservative over a hot button topic. With that lunch I forged myself as a clever and interesting debater and I've had numerous other co-workers seek me out to talk over the topic and other topics of importance during the workday. If anything I am now seen as an "outside of the box" thinker, whether or not that is a good thing remains to be seen but at least I have title and love it or hate it, that is more than most of the guys in my office have.