I agree with you, 100%. 'Culture fit', in my experience, leads to discrimination and in- and out-group thinking.
That being said; a challenge to your statements:
>[. . .] instead we do what we feel is best for us personally, using a fairly emotional and error prone system of judgment [. . .].
My experience has shown that a very cohesive team who like and appreciate each other, but is made of middle-ability individuals is much, much more productive to my measure as the boss than a team comprised of high-ability, but un-cohesive (non-cohesive?) individuals.
Soft skills and the ability to work well together without judgment are both wildly important. In a team of antagonists, it is difficult, if not impossible, to feel comfortable enough to take chances.
Not sure what the challenge is in that statement, but it's in there somewhere.
That being said; a challenge to your statements:
>[. . .] instead we do what we feel is best for us personally, using a fairly emotional and error prone system of judgment [. . .].
My experience has shown that a very cohesive team who like and appreciate each other, but is made of middle-ability individuals is much, much more productive to my measure as the boss than a team comprised of high-ability, but un-cohesive (non-cohesive?) individuals.
Soft skills and the ability to work well together without judgment are both wildly important. In a team of antagonists, it is difficult, if not impossible, to feel comfortable enough to take chances.
Not sure what the challenge is in that statement, but it's in there somewhere.