We all have different facets to our personality that we bring to different areas of our life. In Day 6 of the Aurora course, one facilitator suggested that we should be trying to bring our whole selves to work. I saw this as an extension of being authentic and embracing our differences and can appreciate how that builds a better workplace,
Strength in Diversity
Just like the saying “don’t put all your eggs in one basket”, having a variety of strengths across a team means that it is stronger and more resilient. With a diverse talent pool any individual weaknesses can be covered by other people, and allow for a wider skills set across the whole team.
If part of the team excels in business as usual (BAU) tasks, and part of the team excels in generating new ideas, you should get the benefit of BAU done well, but improvements being made where appropriate. In a team like mine that does technical support we typically have some members who have better knowledge of a system than others. By running technical explanations by non-system-expert colleagues we ensure that the customers are communicated with more effectively – helping the team by combining our strengths and viewpoints.
Bringing our whole selves to work might also free us to use skills in our workplace that we picked up elsewhere. I’ve used skills at work that I picked up in my time on a sports club committee which have made me and my team stronger.
Quality in Diversity
As leaders, seeking a diverse range of inputs can also improve the quality of the outcomes that we’re delivering. We should be considering differences in gender, race, culture, disability etc, not just because it’s the right thing to do, but because by doing so we are creating something better for everyone.
For example, ensuring written teaching materials can be accessed in audio format is required to accommodate those with a visual impairment. However this is not just a benefit to people with disabilities. Audio format may also work for a part time student who can listen to the content at the gym, or for a parent who is nursing their child, or simply for someone who learns better that way. If this was an accommodation only available to those with a registered disability, then we’d all miss out.
When people speak up about their diverse viewpoints, we can learn and adapt and make our environment a better place for all.
Community in Diversity
If we embrace the diverse aspects of ourselves and exhibit them authentically at work, we will hopefully encourage others to be more authentic too. There is no homogenous “ideal” of a co-worker or leader, so the more variety we exhibit, the more diverse our world looks, and the less people feel like they have to conform.
By being more open about our interests or our thoughts we also encourage connections that help build a community. Workplaces with a stronger sense of community have better employee satisfaction, retention and work, and less burnout than those without.
Not at any cost
There is risk associated with “being authentic” and “bringing our whole selves to work” so we have to appreciate that when considering what we or others disclose at work. Not all workplaces are safe spaces. Even where it’s not deliberate, information that we reveal can be used to pigeon-hole or disadvantage. As leaders we should question our internal biases, and be sensitive to situations where others are disadvantaged because they have revealed something about who they are.
Some people don’t have the energy or inclination to invest greatly in their work lives. Forcing people to engage authentically when they aren’t interested or where it would require too much effort isn’t conducive to a community. An authentic workplace has to be something that is encouraged, rather than inflicted.