This may be a cultural way of saying they have political power, ego, or are not a team player, especially if it is heard often and does not resolve with common sense or what makes sense for the company. If you’re in a company where you hear this, it’s a cultural red flag!
Culture is hard to recognize, especially if you’ve been inside, accepting, and adapting to it for years. An outsider often is the one who joins the team, which brings it to the surface. This is why executive management is often hired and rotates through staff over 18 months, to cause transformation of culture, when it cannot be achieved from within.
Cultural change can occur from within, provided you are intentional, willing to persevere, and united with others over time to overcome current cultural acceptance. If someone has “different priorities” that are not right for the company, what are the company priorities, or what should they be, and how can others contribute to voicing what is right and challenging the status quo?
Simply accepting the answer of “different priorities” is unacceptable if the priority comes at the expense of what is truly best for the people and the company. Be careful to not have rose colored glasses and elevate your own interests and perceptions above others, for the sake of self! If you’re truly humbly approaching this subject and can see it clearly and have validation from others, there is likely a need for adjustment and a need to wisely confront the culture for intentional change for the better.