How comfortable are you being you at your workplace? We’ve always been told to set boundaries between our personal and professional lives, to keep them watertight. And so, most of us put on a mask (not the literal one Covid made us wear) at work, the professional façade.
We guard and detach ourselves from who we are and create this different persona altogether, whom our family and friends would never recognize. It sounds like the right thing to do to excel at work, being impeccably professional. Initially, it feels great, but down the line, it backfires because this persona may be in dissonance with our authentic selves. While your family adores you for who you are when you are with them, your colleagues might look at you as that unapproachable perfectionist who has it all figured out. Because you’ve created different personas of yourself. Remember, people open up and approach only those they can relate to, to the ones that are as real as them, complete with flaws and weaknesses.
Herein comes the concept of authenticity! If you’ve unintentionally found yourself in a similar situation where your personal and professional personas are in conflict, the question to ask yourself is, “How can I be authentic at work?”
Because being authentic at work matters now more than ever…
While you do need to create a strong professional persona, you do not need to let go of your true self and force-fit into the generally accepted, ideal, polished professional template. The goal is to be you and become a better you, to refine and integrate your authentic self at work in a way that helps you achieve your career goals without losing yourself.
The business benefits of being authentic are manifold. But authenticity can have different connotations for different people. It translates into happier employees and stronger and more productive teams for organizations. For employees, it translates into effective feedback and an increased sense of security and belonging in a place conducive to self-expression. Authentic leadership is one where there is transparency in communication, allowing wiggle room for imperfection and keeping teams engaged, ultimately leading to higher job satisfaction.
In times when employee engagement, experience, and satisfaction, are of paramount importance, being authentic at work is not just a trend or a buzzword but the essence of forging real and meaningful relations at work, imperative for career success.
If you’re looking at amping up your productivity at work, here’s something that can help: How to be in flow at work?
Now that we acknowledge the importance of authenticity, the next step is to figure out how to be authentic at work. Here’s a framework that might help.
5 Steps to be Your Authentic Self at Work
Like most people, you’ve probably spent a lot of time trying to fake things at work. You often realize that your co-workers are also faking it on some level. But if you want to be successful at work and feel good about yourself, it’s essential to know who you are and share that with the world in a way that makes sense for your situation. Here’s how:
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Know Yourself
Knowing yourself is the first step to getting there. You need to know your strengths, weaknesses, and values. Do you love working in teams? Or do you prefer working solo? Do you want more responsibility, or are you more interested in learning new skills? You also need to know what you want out of life and what’s most important for your career goals. Knowing yourself allows you to live by and act by your core values and principles.
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Show your vulnerability
Vulnerability is an asset, not a liability; a strength, not a weakness. It’s about expressing (say what’s needed), not exposing (you don’t have to spill it all), and knowing it’s okay to fail or not know it all. Your vulnerability makes you real and approachable and helps build trust.
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Speak Your Truths
No fabricated tales to impress or need to conform to a pre-set, consummate professional blueprint. Rather speak your truths and chart out your own unique map. Even if it is uncomfortable, even if you are afraid of what others will think, and even if it is not a popular opinion, speak your truth. This can be one of the most challenging things to do in organizations because we often hesitate to say things that make us look bad or unpopular.
How do you feel when you’re told, “you are biased?” Here’s a short read on “Deconstructing Bias- My Learnings.”
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Ask for Feedback
Take the initiative of soliciting feedback to understand where you are and how you can contribute better. Candid discussions and transparent conversations make feedback sessions a positive experience. And when you do manage to ask for feedback, listen deeply.
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Be clear about your Boundaries
Clearly define your negotiables and non-negotiables. Share judiciously. Know where to draw the lines and prevent awkward situations when it comes to personal information.
Bring your whole self to work…
You are your best asset when you show up at work as yourself. To do this, be authentic and transparent with others about what makes you tick so that they can see through your work persona to the real person underneath. Strive for excellence in work, not perfection. Be a work in progress and embrace feedback.
If you’re feeling stressed or anxious at work, it’s time to unmask and bring your whole self to work. When you’re authentic, people will respond to your authentic self in a way that feels good for both sides of the equation—you and your bosses!
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