“well, we can’t [blank]. but keep thinking about these things and bringing them up.”

if you hear those words in your job — leave it.

i’m not joking. those are quite possibly the worst words that you could ever hear from your manager. those words say, “we’re not committed to diverse viewpoints.” they say, “we’re not committed to rewarding people for good work.” and worst of all, they say, “we’re not committed to being agile. we don’t like change.”

you don’t want to work for a company that doesn’t want to change. find a new job while you still have one. in your interview process with any new, potential employers, be sure to ask “how do you solve problems?” and “i have big ideas. if i wanted to change things, what kind of resistance would i face?”

you need to feel free to make the changes you see fit, and you need to have leadership that will allow you to change the world… even if it’s their world.