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Radhika Panjwani is a freelance writer from Toronto.
Some years ago, Jodi-Ann Burey, a writer and well-known speaker, showed up to her new job with family photos, disability accommodation needs, ambition and enthusiasm, after the organization boasted it encouraged workers to bring their authentic selves to work.
Emboldened by the “bring the real you to work” philosophy, the Seattle native asked lots of questions, presented new ideas and challenged groupthink. But a few weeks into the new role, Ms. Burey’s supervisor pulled her aside and told her to tone down and be a team player.
“Bring your authentic self is a catchphrase introduced by companies and I would be happy to see it gone,” says Ms. Burey to The Globe and Mail. “Asking me to be authentic means nothing if the circumstances that will allow me to be authentic are not present and risk-free.”
She said people’s decision on whether to conform in a professional environment is based on their assessment of the work environment. The onus therefore should be on companies to create a low-risk environment.
“The way we think about being authentic in our professional lives now is that we’re pointing all our attention to individuals to change their behaviour but without changing the environment,” she says. “If you have an identity that’s marginalized, undervalued and under-represented, then your ‘authenticity’ becomes antagonistic in the environment and does not provide a space for you to participate in the rewards of that environment.”
Farce culture
In her viral TED Talk, “The myth of bringing your full authentic self to work,” Ms. Burey illustrates the concept with an analogy of being invited to a party on Oct. 31. The host assures you it’s not a Halloween party and you don’t have to wear a costume. So, you arrive in faded jeans and a stylish top and notice — to your chagrin — everyone else is costumed. And the host, who had insisted it was just a regular get-together, was dressed up as Wonder Woman and gathering votes for the costume contest.
“Do you feel that? That feeling … the anxiety and the bewilderment as to how you came to be the odd one out for just doing what you were told and to come as you are?” Ms. Burey says. “That’s exactly how I feel when I am told to bring my full authentic self to work.”
She adds that when companies extol how their corporate culture celebrates employees’ bringing their whole persona to work, marginalized undervalued and under-represented groups often mistakenly assume it’s safe to shed their, guises but when they do, they are chided.
Ms. Burey suggests companies ask themselves: what can we do to reduce risk for under-represented employees? She says organizations must look into their data on payrates, promotion and mentorship opportunities to evaluate if there are groups of employees that are not receiving the best of what the company offers and fix the gaps.
Counterpoint
Dr. Patricia Thompson, a corporate psychologist and founder of Atlanta-based Silver Lining Psychology, says the rationale behind bring-your-authentic-self is your co-workers will get to know you as a full person, including your interests and life outside of work.
Authenticity, she says, is linked to productivity.
“When you’re in an environment where you can be your real self, there’s an increased likelihood, you’ll feel more loyal and connected to your workplace, which in turn would increase the odds that you would be willing to expend extra effort toward a task,” says Dr. Thompson to The Globe. “When you’re supported and valued for who you are, you tend to build better relationships, which contributes to better overall team performance and outcomes.”
As a Black woman and — often the only person of colour in the room — Dr. Thompson says her focus was on demonstrating her competency. She did not share her thoughts. She soon realized her relationship with her clients was transactional and lacked a level of connection because of her reticence.
“Once I decided to take [what felt like] an interpersonal risk and reveal who I was, things changed,” she says. “People felt I was no longer giving them an invisible stiff-arm and the level of connection improved. It was rewarding because I felt like I was no longer wearing a mask and could relate to others on a fully human level.”
Culture fit is a must
There are several benefits of bringing your authentic self to work. People who are comfortable being authentic are more prone to share their perspectives and more likely to get noticed. Being authentic can also help you to get the support you need to perform at your best, Dr. Thompson says. She says a few of her clients were at first sheepish about disclosing personal details like the fact that they were going through a divorce or had a sick child at work, but once they let their guard down and shared, they were overwhelmed by the support and compassion they received. Some colleagues offered to help pick up the slack for them and others shared their own experiences.
There is an important caveat, she says. This is all only true when you’re in an organization that’s a good fit for you.
“In a perfect world, people could feel free to be themselves without repercussions, but the truth is, not all organizations are equal in this regard,” Dr. Thompson says. “Use your discretion, but be mindful that if there’s too much of a mismatch between your values and that of your organization, you would likely be happier at work if you looked into finding a company culture that is a better match for you.”
What I’m reading around the web
- Effective business writing, according to this Writers Write blog, is about eliminating a handful of phrases. The list includes words like ‘synergy,’ ‘raise the bar,’ and ‘very.’
- Ageism is alive in the workplace. This Forbes article offers a list of seven things to avoid in your resume to eliminate age-based discrimination.
- This Inc.com story explains how Microsoft’s new performance evaluation system is centred around a continuous learning mindset, for example, one’s ability and intelligence can be developed through learning and effort.
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