Be more effective at work by being yourself, by being Authentic : Feature Article; V5 Issue 1

/

Kamal has a participatory style of managing his team. He likes involving his team in the decision making process. Kamal has just joined a new organization. His new manager is a ‘no nonsense’ kind of a boss and likes to act tough with his team members. As per him people need to be just told clearly what needs to be done for things to get done on time. He instructs Kamal to not follow his usual approach of discussing with team members, taking their ideas and then planning work. Eager to please his new boss he is now following this new style of managing his team. However he is constantly feeling stressed at the thought of having to just give out work instructions without any consultation with the team. He is not comfortable with this approach and is not able to focus on his work. Kamal is not being true to his natural style. He is not being authentic! And he feels drained of energy and feels really wretched. Look back and try to recall instances where you have not been authentic. How did each instance make you feel? My guess is that you must have felt the same as Kamal. What about the instances where you have been authentic? That would have been a different feeling altogether right? You felt good!

What is Authenticity?

Be more effective at work by being yourself, by being Authentic

Kamal has a participatory style of managing his team. He likes involving his team in the decision making process. Kamal has just joined a new organization. His new manager is a ‘no nonsense’ kind of a boss and likes to act tough with his team members. As per him people need to be just told clearly what needs to be done for things to get done on time. He instructs Kamal to not follow his usual approach of discussing with team members, taking their ideas and then planning work. Eager to please his new boss he is now following this new style of managing his team. However he is constantly feeling stressed at the thought of having to just give out work instructions without any consultation with the team. He is not comfortable with this approach and is not able to focus on his work. Kamal is not being true to his natural style. He is not being authentic! And he feels drained of energy and feels really wretched. Look back and try to recall instances where you have not been authentic. How did each instance make you feel? My guess is that you must have felt the same as Kamal. What about the instances where you have been authentic? That would have been a different feeling altogether right? You felt good!

What is Authenticity?

" Authenticity is a state of healthy alignment between one’s values and behaviors. "

In a study that ‘Center for Creative Leadership’ conducted on the choices and trade-offs facing high-achieving women managers and executives, it was found that authenticity has the following five defining characteristics, some of which are interrelated:

  1. Clarity about one’s values, priorities, and preferences
  2. Acceptance of the necessity for choices and trade-offs in life
  3. A strong sense of self-determination
  4. A willingness to work toward aligning one’s values and behaviors
  5. A high degree of comfort and satisfaction with decisions made earlier in life

Individuals who are authentic have a good understanding of themselves and their priorities. They know what is important to them as opposed to what might be important to other people and society. 

You spend approximately 8 to 10 hours at work Monday to Friday. If you're not being authentic while you work, then you are not being the "real you" more than half of your waking time. That is a lot of stress on you. Only when you are authentic will you be able to bring your whole self to your job and participate fully and honestly in your workplace. Being authentic is energizing and promotes growth, learning, and psychological well-being. When you behave authentically with others¸ they respond with authenticity making your interaction with them that much more effective.

Enhancing your Workplace Authenticity Quotient

There are compelling reasons to align your inner and outer self so that your work behavior becomes comfortable and natural, allowing you to be more effective at the workplace. There are several ways to increase your authenticity level at work.

  1. Self awareness: The first step to be authentic is to know who you are and what you want. A thorough understanding of yourself is important in being authentic. This can be done by the discovering the following about yourself through a process of Self Reflection.
     
    • Values - What do you care most about? Is it building a successful career? Is it giving back to the society? Is it spending time with your family? Is it being able to live a full life? Is it financial security? Is it following your dreams?
    • Strengths and Weaknesses - What would you consider your strengths as? What are you able to do effortlessly – number crunching or nurturing a relationship? What do your friends say about your strong points? How do you and others define your personality traits? Are you analytical, emotional, funny, creative, upbeat, warm…? What are some of the skills you wish you could be better at?
    • Interests, Likes, Dislikes, Preferences and Passion - What do you enjoy grappling with the most? Is it people, ideas, beauty or data? What work do you find meaningful? How will you know you are passionate about something? The good old definition that “you will work for free” is always there. But let’s say you can’t do that, then what? Another definition that you can refer to is “ Passion educates, sparks creative fires, innovates, motivates, improves, focuses clearly on problems and solutions, creates an inner sense of joy and well-being, transfixes permanently, increases contacts and builds networks, provides a raison d’être and is deeply rewarding.”
    • Fears - What are some of your fears? Are you afraid of losing your job? Do you fear being judged and criticized? Is there a fear of being disliked? Do you fear facing uncomfortable challenges? Because of your fears you may be reluctant to break bad news to your team or admit you are providing lousy service to your customers.
  2. Conduct an authenticity assessment: Now that you have clarity on what you are and what you want, assess how aligned are your current behaviours and choices at the workplace with your true self. If they are more or less aligned then great, if not figure out what is that you are willing to do or let go to achieve alignment. Perhaps you are now willing to speak up your mind despite your discomfort in doing so, to get your ideas accepted or you are willing to sacrifice greater financial security to work in an area of your choice. The key point here is to be clear on what is most important to you now and what you will and will not do to get there. This clarity will equip you to establish your authenticity.

     

  3. Take action based on the assessment: Knowing what is good for you is just the beginning; taking real action is what counts. You need not make drastic changes, but take small steps towards gradually aligning your behaviours with your most important values. Say you want to start your own Company someday, you can start by saving for the initial investment required to set up the business. You can start identifying the possible areas that you would like to do business in. You can even start training yourself in the skills required to run a business successfully.

     

  4. Garner support: Ever tried to accomplish something without the support of your family, friends or team? It can be tough. So share your authenticity aims with trusted colleagues and friends. They can be great a source of feedback and reinforcement making it easier for you to stay on track.
  5. Rely on yourself: While your friends and family can be supportive, there are also chances of you encountering resistance from them if the course of action you are proposing to take is unconventional. Don’t get discouraged by that and have faith in your own judgment about what is right for you.
  6. Be yourself and practice honesty with others: Don’t put on a tough act if you are gentle by nature. You will find that you can get more things done with your gentleness than your “put on” toughness.  You can’t maintain a front for long. Say the truth even if it means having a difficult conversation. No point in telling your boss that the project is progressing just fine when you know that it is likely to get delayed. He may at least be able to help you reduce the delay.
  7. Admit your mistakes: A key part of being authentic is being able to admit that you have made a mistake rather than ignore it and worse still put the blame on others. Being authentic involves being honest to yourself and others including being honest about the mistakes you make.
  8. Be open to feedback and learning: Apart from ‘Self awareness’ your openness to feedback and willingness to learn can improve your authenticity quotient. Feedback will give you a greater understanding of how you are impacting others and whether it is in line with how you actually want to impact them. Learning can equip you with the skills required to get to the place where you want to be.
  9. Be prepared for dead ends: The road to pursuing your dreams may not always end in that treasure at the end of the rainbow. It may take a couple of trials to hit the right road to success. It is important to not give up when you come across a dead end or a bump.
  10. Remember who you are even when you succeed: As you climb the ladder of success retain your “specialness”. Be true to your natural personality, likes, dislikes and priorities.

Balancing Authenticity with Workplace Boundaries

So does being authentic give you the license to behave rudely with a colleague since you felt you had to act in accordance to your true feelings at that time? Does it mean it is alright to dress up in jeans since that is what you are comfortable wearing when your organization dress code is formals. Well if your priority is (and I must say it never is) to jeopardize your relationship with your colleagues and your career prospects in the company then the answer is Yes! What I am trying to say is that there is a fine balancing act that you need to do between being true to yourself and respecting others rights / workplace boundaries. 

So then, will there be a conflict on of how you want to be and the way you are actually required to be? Will there be a conflict between you and others? Yes, but then it does not have to be this way. In the workplace, you can be honest and transparent without alienating everyone and learn skills to participate both productively and authentically. Here are some pointers for you to do this.

  1. There are some basic norms to be followed for being a responsible and civil citizen within a community. While it might feel authentic at a point in time to express yourself exactly the way you feel, your perceptions may not be correct and your urges may not be appropriate, so external norms can provide you with a reality check.
  2. Also most organizations have clear rules regarding employee behavior. Suppose your behavior which is authentic as per you crosses one of those boundaries, say in a case of sexual harassment, you will be putting your career and your reputation in jeopardy. Understand and keep in mind what the workplace boundaries are.
  3. The way we communicate can affect our level of effective authenticity. Delivering a message in a respectful way to your colleague will be far more effective than expressing it rudely.
  4. You need to strive for a state of authenticity that meets both your goals and workplace requirements.  For instance if you like being independent then let your manager know that you would be more effective if he/she gives you more freedom.
  5. Evaluate your current career choice. You may find that within the current career choice there are things you like doing more of. Seek opportunities for the same.

Conclusion

Are you thinking that this authenticity business is a lot of hard work? You are right! Developing authenticity is not easy. It requires being courageous and making a whole lot of effort and overcoming hurdles ranging from societal norms to organizational cultures. Also, you have to work hard to stay authentic, periodically reviewing your priorities and choosing behaviours that match those priorities as your circumstances change. But, the question you need to ask yourself is not whether you can afford to be authentic but whether you can afford to not be authentic, for the rewards are just too good for you to give it a miss.

References