How do you keep it real at work? To me, being authentic at work is about knowing your values, sharing and showing your colleagues who you really are, finding and expressing your voice, bringing your whole self to work and not allowing fear, or others, to hold you back from being who you truly are.
Authenticity comes from a deep place of truth. It is when our actions and words are congruent with our beliefs and values. It is being ourselves, not an imitation of what we think we should be or have been told we should be. Authentic people will inspire loyalty, commitment, creativity and personal investment from those around them.
"The privilege of a lifetime is to become who you truly are". ~ Carl Jung
Many of us have been led to believe that to succeed at work, you have to be political. Being political is the opposite of being authentic. It’s about manipulating situations and, at times, people and managing information to your own advantage. It’s often called “playing the game" or "climbing the ladder". Authenticity offers another way to be at work from this traditional "office politics" or "playing the game".
Why to care about being authentic at work? As author Vanessa Buote explains in this HBR article, findings showed that authentic employees had “significantly higher job satisfaction and engagement, greater happiness at work, a stronger sense of community, more inspiration and lower job stress…The more of themselves that people shared with others, the better their workplace experience.”
Here are 7 tips to help you lean into being your true, authentic self at work.
1. Match your values to your workplace
The core strategy of being authentic is getting clarity about what you really want and what success looks like for you — not what you think it "should’ be”. Part of knowing ourselves, is knowing who we truly are. That's why it is important to take time to reflect on what is truly important to us. If you are motivated by people and culture, and you work in an organisation where status and money is valued above all else, then this won't fit as powerfully with your values.
2. Bring your whole self to work
When you are at work, do you show the "real you"? Not just the skills and qualities that they looked for on the job description, but the whole of what makes you who you are? For me, this was meant learning to share both the "yin and yang" of my personality. While I am very driven, ambitious and determined, I also love to spend time just "being" as a counterbalance. Things like journaling, yoga, mediation and mindfulness. I didn't share my interest in this with my work colleagues for a long time, as I felt people would think it too New Age, boring or a waste of time. And maybe it is for them. But not for me. These are things I love to do, and I am happy now to share this side of me at work. I even included a short mediation in recent coaching sessions I did, something that just weeks ago I would never have done! A lot of people put on a different persona in work, then outside of it. We shut down parts of ourselves that we think we will be judged for in the workplace. A simple way this manifests is you often hear people commenting on someone's "phone voice". But you have your normal voice, why are you putting on a different voice or persona to do something as simple as answer a phone call? Where else are you putting on a mask? Don't amour up; bring your true, whole sense to work. When you show who you truly are, you will find your tribe and they will value all the parts of you, not just the ones that conform to corporate stereotypes.
3. Find your voice and express it
You have a voice, so use it. Don't let people tell you that others can speak for you, as their voice is not yours. This may mean speaking up in meetings, even if everyone else in the meeting is more senior than you. This may mean you need to be more assertive. You speak up when someone speaks to you or treats you in a way that you are not comfortable with. How can anyone else know your truth, if you are not telling them? People are not mind readers. Even if things don't change because you spoke up, you will feel better, as you will know you controlled what you could, which is your voice and how you shared your views and opinions.
4. Be vulnerable
As a leader, if you won’t be open and vulnerable, then neither will your employees or colleagues. Being vulnerable is the birthplace of creativity and innovation and change. As I moved more into manager roles, learning to say "I don't know the answer" became a huge source of vulnerability. Admitting a mistake is another, especially in a work environment where our performance is constantly being evaluated. Or be willing to ask what you think is a "dumb" question - likely someone else wanted to ask the same and just didn't have the courage .
5. Express your personality in your space
Whether this is art, plants, photos, mementos or just an array of brightly coloured post-its, your work space will give the world a glimpse of who you are. And it gives your colleagues an opening to connect with you. Maybe they see a photo of your dog, and then a conversation about pets ensues! The same goes with what you wear. I've always loved wearing brightly coloured dresses to work, this is much more "me" and the black business suit that was traditionally seen as appropriate women's work attire.
6. Overcoming fear
It's scary to step into being your true authentic sense as you will be judged for it. And now you have nowhere to hide, if someone doesn't like you or something you do. That will send your inner critic into overdrive! But you cannot please everyone, and you cannot hold yourself back for a fear of failure. And fear of judgement. Your performance is always going to be scrutinized in work - for annual reviews, for promotions, in probation. Get used to it, and be willing to get out of your comfort zone. Remember to feel the highs, you must also feel the lows. When people might offer criticism or feedback on you and your performance, how amazing will it feel when it is positive feedback and you truly earned and deserved that feedback as you were true to yourself? I guarantee you will feel amazing! And if the feedback is not so positive, then take the learnings and fail forward.
7. Your words and action will match
I don't trust words, I trust actions. When you are being authentic, you need to match up your words to your actions. You can't say you care about your team, and then cancelling a 1-1 is your go to way to make space in your calendar when things get busy. Your words will mean nothing if your actions are the complete opposite. The quickest way to gain the trust of those around you is to match up your actions and words.
Our biggest fear is that we are truly powerful just as we are. Yes, read that again! Our biggest fear is that we are truly powerful just as we are. When we blame other people for why we are not succeeding at work, or keep parts of us hidden from our colleagues, it makes it easier to fail as we give ourselves an excuse. But when you put all of yourself out there at work by being authentic, now there is no longer anywhere to hide. If you fail (or succeed don't forget), that sits squarely on your shoulders. Our biggest fear is that we are truly powerful just as we are.
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