Vulnerability In The Workplace

Vulnerability scares the hell outta people.

Vulnerability is defined as uncertainty, risk and emotional exposure. But to quote researcher/storyteller, Brené Brown, "vulnerability is the birthplace of love, belonging, joy, courage, empathy and creativity." Need a reason to smile and think today? Watch Brené's TED talk on vulnerability here!

I was lucky enough to attend a Storyleaders workshop earlier this month led by pretty badass dude in Ben Zoldan. The goal of Storyleaders is to transform companies, by the power of storytelling. Create a new breed of leaders, more engaged employees, and build a better culture. The workshop left me with a lot of aha moments, one in particular was my realization that I must chase life's uncomfortable and unknown moments because that's where a lot of it's beauties are found.

Being vulnerable, leaning in, or taking off your mask...however you want to call it, can be intimidating to do, but it can be achieved through stories both in your personal and professional life. You connect with friends and family by reminiscing on past stories both happy and sad and then proceed to create more with them. But authentic connection is much harder to find and/or build in the workplace. Connecting with storytelling creates a relationship of dialogue and listening, but like my "aha" mentioned above, you have to take that initial step into the uncomfortable in order to connect authentically...you have to lean into vulnerability.

You'll be amazed by the results of what happens after the door to vulnerability is kicked open. I'm not saying I want you starting every conversation with your customers or coworkers with "Once upon a time...", unless you work for Disney and pitch movie ideas, but instead I'm asking that you consciously remind yourself that the person on the other end of your sales call is just like you. They too have their own story full of hopes, dreams, successes, failures, regrets, and battles that make up who they are. As obvious as the previous statement is, it is surprisingly difficult to take a step back and realize it. It reminds me of a quote from one of my favorite movies, V for Vendetta, "You wear a mask for so long, you forget who you were beneath it." Sit and think about that quote and what it could mean to you in your personal or work life.

I'll share some stories about both facets on my life, personal and work, with you. I am part of a generation that has grown up with our faces in screens and devices in our hands. The importance of having a healthy balance around the use of technology and playing outside with no shoes on was instilled in me and my siblings early on. I'm currently sitting in a park watching dogs play while writing this blog on my laptop, so ya know...balance!

But the problem around technology and my generation, in particular, is that thanks to social media we know some much about each other, yet we understand very little! While this isn't a blanket statement about everyone on social media, it is a sad truth. We lack vulnerability. Thanks to keyboard warriors and trolls, we've learned the internet isn't the always the safest place to be one's vulnerable self. Social media rewards us with constant gratification with approvals via likes, but no real authentic connection. Racking up your "Likes" on Instagram and Twitter feed into our metric-centricity obsession.

This obsession can be seen as a major barrier in the business world as well. Data is key to every business. Making sense of that data is incredibly crucial, but the process of making sense of that data can be long and arduous. Like life, data at its core is messy and hard to understand, hence all the advanced analytics and machine learning methods for data analysis being build into business intelligence platforms. The advancements in features and functions of analytics solutions, such as with Oracle Analytics, allow for unbiased analysis of data and allow users to draw insights that lead to action. It's easy to show what the data is representing via metric heavy reports and dashboards, but reproducible reports like this leave out the focus for the "WHY". This is where storytelling is crucial. Stories have emotions. Data does not.

Leaning into vulnerability or entering into one's vulnerability is beautifully human. We are creatures of embarrassment and mistakes, as well as empathy and understanding. We are all far from perfect, no matter how hard we want to appear to be. By remembering these things when entering into dialogue with someone either at work, home, or in public; it is up to each and every one of us to create a culture of belonging. Vulnerability blossoms lasting relationships by allowing people to open up and share.

Let's Build A Culture of Vulnerability!

My door is always open to chat,

Brendan Doyle