Hybrid Work, Hybrid Identites

Our personal and professional lives are connected

When I started this newsletter, the idea was simply to share my perspectives on careers, leadership and relationships. The quality of how these three areas play out in our lives often has a huge impact on us as individuals.?A transition in a career often places a greater demand on our personal relationships; a rift in a personal relationship can negatively impact our career confidence. How our leaders lead us has a profound impact on every sphere of our life, from politics and economic crises to employee exodus and disengagement.?

Careers, relationships and leadership are deeply intertwined. So are our personal and professional identities.?This is particularly true in the age of virtual working where our personal and professional lives often spill into each other.

I am Sonam. And my identity is a unique blend of several sub-identities from my professional and personal life.?

On the professional front,?

Human Resources, Talent Development, Graduate programmes, Performance Management, Succession Planning; Organisational Development; Business and Executive Coaching are a few areas where my work experience and education have helped me weave a beautiful thread of Development.

But outside of work, the roots of this ‘thread of development’ received sunshine and water through several seasons of change.?

Setting up life as an Indian expat in the UK in my early 30s; re-launching my HR career in a new country, managing the guilt that accompanied a career break whilst spending a year living in the U.S., completing a second Master's degree as an international student, overcoming self-doubt when faced with rejection in my job search, finding the right opportunities to work with respectable organisations, standing up for myself by living my values and actively challenging bias, taking risks and facing the fears that came with the unknown, becoming a parent in the midst of a pandemic isolated from any support, and stepping away from a corporate career to start a new business where I work with individuals and corporates in a way that works for me.?

All of this in a span of 10 years!

Ouch!

That is a LOT of change, especially for someone who wanted a rather straightforward life.

But as they say, life happens and we often make sense of it connecting the dots by looking backwards.?With all the changes I’ve experienced in the last decade, I have grown inside me the muscle of resilience and a deep self-awareness that will guide me through the ‘unfamiliar’ in the years to come.?

I proudly wear many hats today…

My professional and personal life is closely intertwined. The joys and challenges of one often spill over into the other. When needed, I draw boundaries to protect my professional life from challenges and events in my personal life but the truth is my life is one and the blend of several sub-identities makes my life richer, my work more meaningful and my relationships more fulfilling.?

Through MirrorSpeak Consulting, I offer Coaching and Consulting services for organisations and individuals, always weaving the thread of personal and professional development.

I am offering a limited number of probono sessions at the beginning of the new year. Please reach out if you’d like support to live the life you aspire to live!?

Book time for a free consultation

How do you personal and professional identities sit together? Has the pandemic shifted the way we see ourselves. I'd love to hear your thoughts.