Let’s Talk: Bringing Your Whole Self To Work

What are your thoughts on how you show up to work every day? Should you be bringing your whole self?

I’m a podcast listener. There’s a lot of great podcasts out there and I enjoy the Diary of CEO podcast with Steven Bartlett. He recently had former secret service agent Evy Poumpouras on his podcast, in which they discussed the topic of being yourself at work, or bringing your whole self to work.

I love this topic, and I must admit, over time my opinion has shifted on this subject.

Evy makes a great point, that your focus shouldn’t be on bringing your authentic self to work, but rather, your professional self, your respectful self, and your competent self.

I for one, agree.

However, with anything I do believe there is a balance. No matter your field of work, your organization has a mission and a vision. There are some occupations that require different versions of ourselves. A secret service agent is different than an elementary school teacher, and a surgeon is different than a firefighter.

My point is this. A responsibility each of us have is to show up with honesty and respect. When we think about authenticity, that would imply bringing every thought and personal feeling to the forefront. Instead, our competent and respectful self is aligned and can fulfill the needs of the role.

It’s less about bringing your whole self to work, and more about fulfilling your purpose. A secret service agent needs composure, vigilance and discretion. Whereas an elementary school teacher may need more warmth and creativity. Both individuals can still be true to themselves, but their professions still require boundaries.

Here’s something I always urge people to think about: If you are in a culture or an environment of trust and genuine people, this still doesn’t mean oversharing or ignoring professionalism. Leaders play a critical role in creating healthy work environments, but so does everyone else. A major key is understanding there are practical ways to create belonging without compromising healthy work boundaries.

Small actions go a long way. Recognize and appreciate people. Acknowledge people and their contributions. Even small acts of kindness and engagement uphold a standard of respect. As always, I am wishing you the best.