Your sense of self: Why it matters in the workplace - Women's Agenda

Your sense of self: Why it matters in the workplace

The desire to achieve authenticity at work – and be confident, grounded and “true to self” – is a familiar aspiration for working women. Most of us would agree that this feels morally, ethically and personally like the right thing to do.

But do most of us actually achieve this, or do organisational cultures have us covering up who we really are?

Take a moment to think about who you are outside of work – whether it is with your family or friends. How open are you? Are you inclusive? A little funny, perhaps? Now, consider how many of those personal traits you also take to work with you, particularly when you enter a formal setting or engage in dialogue with senior stakeholders. Who are you showing up as then?

Bring you true sense of self to work

In corporate life, there are numerous subtle ways that organisational context can influence how women conduct themselves at work or even how they can be derailed from who they really are. Organisational climate (which at worst can include negativity or gossip), culture (results at all costs), behavioural norms (“face time”, inflexibility) and politics (low trust and sometimes a lack of confidence in the often male expectations of leadership) can socialise women in harmful ways – without many of us even realising it. For many women working in these environments, this can bring about a self-censoring of their opinions or an unintended habit of rushing through presentations, giving time away to “more worthy” colleagues or worse still, an assumption of inferiority to their (often male) colleagues. And this is by no means an exhaustive list!

Of course, the flipside can also apply. Studies have reported women becoming more competitive, territorial and sometimes overcompensating for their minority voice (particularly in leadership settings) by internalising traditional male behaviours in order to cope or to get their views across.

So it is a minefield, a glass minefield to be exact. One so subtle that it is hard to detect (hence the transparency of glass) and yet one so potentially harmful to an individual’s wellbeing that it may lead to burnout, opting out of the workforce, or being out of sync with who they really are.

A recent example of this came from a female client of mine who was considering a senior career move but was hesitant to make the change due to her own experience of working with difficult leaders, and her subsequent uncertainty of who she had become as a leader. Had she not had taken the time to reflect on these key issues, she was potentially going to make a pivotal career decision based on unhelpful assumptions and uncertainty regarding her own ability to lead.

These potential derailers exist for women in the workplace every day, and reinforce the notion that women need to remain mindful of who they are at work (or who they aspire to be). We shape and are shaped by our organisational cultures. In inclusive, strengths-based cultures (where individuals are valued for their uniqueness), an individual’s sense of self is often rewarded and validated. And the good news is these environments do exist. However in more competitive or territorial environments, research shows that women can unintentionally internalise difficulties they face at work as their own shortcomings (or deficits) rather than attributing them (more accurately) to their external environment. (“It must be me” syndrome vs “It’s a symptom of where I am working”).

Understanding yourself, and the organisation you work in

So in order for women to be their authentic selves at work, to understand who they really are, they must get better at being able to see both the forest and the trees. This involves actively describing the cultures within which they work, the forces that shape this culture, and being on the lookout for subtle clues that tell them what is really going on. In practice, asking questions such as: “Who has the power? Who are the decision makers? What is their history? What behaviours get rewarded?” starts to shed a light on some of these hidden dynamics.

Developing this critical insight is key to career success for two reasons:

  1. When individuals have greater contextual insight, they can be active and intentional in the way they decide to handle that environment, and in so doing, increase the likelihood of maintaining their sense of self.
  2. Naming the trends they see (recognising that no two cultures are the same) can accelerate a women’s ability to change or influence that workplace, and move towards a culture that is perhaps more inclusive than the one she may find herself in.

Career progression requires continued awareness

A fundamental premise of career progression (particularly as women become more senior) is to constantly build and refine their self-awareness. In fact, it becomes even more important to show understanding regarding professional identity – the sense of who you are at work – including your values, morals, beliefs and experiences. However this identity awareness can be lost without an ongoing (and increasing) capacity to understand the unique organisational context in which you find yourself. In so doing, a woman can become better equipped to manage any potential derailers, and be more likely to realise her authentic self at work.

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