Authenticity at work: oxymoron?
Mon 14 February 2011
, Maurice Eykman, LEAP
Many of us would like to be ‘authentic’ but in reality authenticity at work is a risky proposition. That is because we define authentic as being emotionally transparent. If we define it differently and say it is about ‘speech and actions that arise from our deepest values’ we might be able to be both more true to ourselves and find creative solutions for situations in which we otherwise might have diminished ourselves by not speaking up. And, as Martin Luther King said: “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”
This is the subject of an interesting article Leslie Williams wrote for the Glasshammer.
Here’s a quick exercise that illustrates why being emotionally transparent is risky. Identify a current work situation that you think is being badly handled but that you haven’t confronted. If you had a free pass to react authentically – with no threat of repercussion – what would you do or say? Now… if you actually did or said that, what do you think would happen? For many of us, that much honesty could constitute career suicide. This is the double bind of authenticity. We want more of it, but we fear the vulnerability it can create. So we resign ourselves to the belief that authenticity is only possible in ‘enlightened’ organizations – which is certainly not where WE work.
Value-based authenticity
Now, if we redefine authentic as “speech and actions that arise from our deepest values” we have a very different proposition. It takes discipline, effort, and self-awareness. While this kind of honesty is more difficult, it allows us to honor ourselves and connect us with others, both at a deeper level. And it is more effective.
Leslie has a clear example of how this might work out in practice if you ask yourself two questions:
· What deeply-held values do you want your response to reflect?
· What can you say or do that will successfully reflect those values?
Could values-based authenticity work for you? Take the situation you identified at the top of this article, and see what happens when you look at it through the lens of the two questions. Does it show you something new about yourself, the situation, or how you might respond?
Let us know!
Read full article: http://www.theglasshammer.com/news/2011/01/26/its-time-to-redefine-authenticity/
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