Suzanne Mercier - Thursday, February 25, 2010
Over the past few weeks, I have been travelling around Australia, talking to C-level women executives at sphinxx development events (www.sphinxx.org). My subject was authenticity and what stands in the way, namely the Imposter Syndrome. At the conclusion of the last event, I went back to the table I had been sitting at to collect my bags and accidentally overheard some of the participants talking about the day. The comment I heard was to the effect that 'Suzanne's topic was personal, not business'. I was surprised because I thought I had made the case for the value of authenticity in the workplace. Clearly not if they hadn't got that message.
I think authenticity anywhere is important and that it is a critical factor of the way we need to do business. So, I've decided to devote a few blogs to that effect.
In this blog, I'll talk about being real and acceptance of ourselves as whole beings and how that contributes to performance at work.
As many of you may have heard me say, authenticity is subjective - how authenticity manifests for each of us is different. There are some key principles that relate to authenticity.
Authenticity is about being real. We all have qualities and limitations. Many of us find it much easier to list our limitations than we do to identify and claim our strengths; our qualities. Then many of us use those limitations to keep ourselves separate and reinforce the "not good enough" paradigm we run. If we are to be authentic, we need to see both sides of the coin and accept them equally, without judgement. When we see our limitations as cause for shame, it keeps us separate and our primary motivation commonly is to keep others from seeing those limitations. Yet, if we see them, accept them and even share them, we will find that others have things they're not so proud of either. That in itself can create connections.
Similarly, when we see that we have talents and gifts and accept them with humility and gratitude, we are in a position to use them. Those talents and gifts don't make us any better than anyone else; they are simply what we've been given to work with. Others have their valuable gifts and talents too.
At work, our employing organisations (yes, that includes our own business), expect us to bring all of ourselves to work. At least, they want the good stuff - the past experiences, the creative thoughts, the skills and talents that can be cross-contextualised to work. Within our strengths, lies our ability to make our unique contribution at work. You may have experienced, though, that our employers don't particularly want the downside of having the whole beautifully flawed human being at work.
What is a flaw though? In my view, it depends on how you look at it. Being judgemental and critical can be seen as negative. In a different context, though, it can be seen as discerning. Being sensitive can be seen as negative. In another context, sensitivity can be seen as caring and support the ability to be empathetic. In other words, a quality is just that and we put the spin on it - positive or negative.
So, to be authentic, the first step is to be honest with ourselves and with others about who we are and what we offer - with all the magic and warts.
Being real about who we are without judgement allows us to connect with others regardless of how similar or different they are to us - without judgement: think performing teams, collaboration, high morale, strong communication and friends at work which impacts on employee engagement as just a few work areas impacted by being real or authenticity.
Being real without judgement also allows us to put forward our ideas and other any other contribution we can make: think innovation, the lifeblood of any competitive organisation.
More soon.
What do you think? I'd love to hear.
All the very best
Suzanne
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