New year, new role clarity: Find your professional fit.
By Ejieme Eromosele / January 5, 2026
Early January has a different kind of energy.
The rush of the holidays has passed. The noise of year-end planning has quieted. And many of us are sitting with the same question, even if we haven’t said it out loud yet: “Am I in the right place?”
Whether you’re a leader thinking about your next hire or a professional reflecting on your own career path, this moment matters. Decisions made now often shape the entire year ahead.
I’ve learned that many career and hiring decisions fail for reasons that aren’t obvious at the start. On the surface, everything aligns. But beneath that, there’s often a mismatch in expectations, pace, or environment that don’t show up until you’re already in it.
That’s what led me to develop the Fit Framework.
At its core, the framework helps you step back and look at alignment across three dimensions:
Competency and Role Fit: Do the skills and strengths match what the role truly requires today?
Team Fit: Does the pace, collaboration style, and level of structure align with how the team actually operates?
Company Fit: Is there alignment with the organization’s stage, values, and level of maturity?
When all three are in sync, work feels clearer.
Early January is the perfect time to use this lens. If you’re hiring, it helps you avoid rushing into a role that looks right on paper but doesn’t fit where your team is headed. If you’re job searching or considering a change, it gives you a grounded way to evaluate opportunities beyond excitement or fear.
Download the Individual Contributor CSM Competencies
This document provides a sample list of competencies you can use to define the CSM role in your organization. Use it as a starting point, and be sure to tailor it with domain-specific skills and expectations that reflect how your team actually operates.
