Embracing Authenticity for a Healthier Workplace

Many of us make a sharp distinction between our “work self” and our “real self.” Perhaps that work self is “all business”—stoic, efficient, and focused on the bottom line. Our so-called real self, by contrast, contains all the parts of us that can’t easily be measured or cataloged—our values, our dreams, and our emotions.

The reality, though, is that when people feel able to bring their whole selves to work, it’s healthier for them as individuals as well as for the organizations they create.

Since the Industrial Revolution, there has been an unspoken cultural expectation that employees should operate like machines. Steam engines, of course, never feel overlooked by the boss or resent having to work weekends, and neither should a “good” worker—or so the logic goes.

But people are decidedly not machines, and expecting them to act like they are is a recipe for a number of ailments, such as:

• disengagement
• high turnover rates
• low wellbeing
• an increase in stress and burnout

As humans, we are driven by our values, so when your daily tasks are disconnected from those values, it takes a toll. Simply going through the motions and pretending that you feel differently than you actually do is called surface acting, and it can only go on for so long before it begins to impact your wellbeing and the quality of your work.

Compare this mindset to a workplace that encourages a more integrated approach, where individuals are invited to show up to work feeling however they feel. This can be as simple as acknowledging and articulating our emotional truths without trying to change or fix them.

When individuals don’t feel like they have to check important parts of themselves at the door, it creates a better environment for all.

People who are wholehearted in their work aren’t just happier—they’re more engaged, more committed, and less likely to experience alienation or burnout.

The office climate improves, which increases retention. Clients and customers notice the care that employees bring to their work, which promotes brand loyalty. It’s a situation that everyone can benefit from.

Of course, bringing one’s whole self to work doesn’t give you license to openly berate an annoying coworker or snidely dismiss an idea you disagree with. Authenticity doesn’t mean we abandon appropriate behavior and respect for others. Our feelings are data that carry important messages, not directives to act on impulse. They’re also not an aspect of your personality than you can choose to turn off. Our emotions are part of us, and responsibly making space for them isn’t unprofessional—it’s indispensable.