Can You Be Your True Self at Work?

A little over a week ago, I ran a poll where I asked whether you can be your true self at work. The results were closer than I expected.

With a total of 63 votes, it was a straight 60/40 split in favour of 'Yes'. Yet, this numerical division highlights a significant portion of respondents who grapple with the challenge of presenting their genuine selves in professional settings. It got me thinking, do I feel like I am my true self at work?

I feel personally, my answer would be 'Yes'... sort of. I am authentically myself in various situations, but there are different versions of Zoe Forrest in existence.

The Zoe you would meet over a delightful glass of wine in a local restaurant is an entirely different version to the Zoe you see navigating the corporate world. They are both me, just adapted versions in line with my surroundings.

It has taken years of reading about communication styles, observing many different personality traits and thrusting myself in situations out of my comfort zone which have enabled me to naturally adapt to different environments.

You could argue that this is not portraying my true self, but I would disagree. I do not feel like I am acting, it comes naturally to me to respond to my environment and I still do not say things out of character in order to impress. Two of my core values are kindness and integrity and I uphold these in all situations and would never compromise on my core values, regardless of the situation I was in.

Contrary to popular advice, I have found success in treating colleagues and friends how THEY would like to be treated, not how I would like to be treated, as we are all different. This philosophy extends to the workplace, where I'm fortunate to have colleagues at MANN+HUMMEL who embrace and reciprocate this approach.

In a world that sometimes demands conformity, masquerading as someone you're not to fit in or gain a sense of belonging can be exhausting. Authenticity is not a singular state and embracing authenticity at work involves a thoughtful balance of adaptation that aligns with our core values.

I invite you all to celebrate the diversity within, recognising that our authenticity shines brightest when it's allowed to adapt and flourish in every environment.