Bringing Your Whole Self to Work

I’ve always believed in being yourself in everything you do. In staying true to yourself and knowing who you really are, you are at a distinct advantage. Being aware of your limitations is one part of that, and you certainly shouldn’t feel as if you should be good at everything. But knowing how to use your unique strengths in terms of your skills and personality is equally important. Put together, this awareness will build the individual that people will come to recognise.

It’s likely that you’ll arrive at who you are by identifying aspects of yourself that are distinct, but you should also be very clear about who you are not. The process of elimination is actually one of the easiest ways to filter out the noise and draw the line between who you are and who you’re not. From there, you reach a place where you’re confident about what your strengths are, and what you’re not good at.

Bringing your whole self to work isn’t instantaneous, it often develops slowly. Personally, this was something I struggled with as a fresh graduate. I knew who I was outside of work, but I always imagined that I had to be a different person once I entered the working world. I thought I had to fit into a certain mould. But obviously, everyone is different. What makes you interesting is different from what makes me interesting.

The turning point for me was when I started spending time with my colleagues outside the office or during breaks. I noticed that the interactions between them were casual, which made me comfortable with opening up and letting loose. Actually, these interactions often ended up being creative sessions, leading to work conversations that didn’t feel like work. I started seeing my colleagues as friends, which allowed me to let my guard down and be myself.

These conversations showed me that work is more than just the nine-to-five grind, and that my colleagues have interesting stories outside of work. The fact that my colleagues were so comfortable with being themselves encouraged me to do the same. You, too, can encourage people to be themselves simply by being yourself.

When I started my career, I felt I had to be a lot more serious at work, to stop making jokes. I didn’t bring my fun personality to work. Eventually, I realised that I could bring these elements of my personality to work without adversely affecting my work in any way. Obviously, this will vary based on the atmosphere in your workplace and the culture. However, if you’re playing by the rules and not being too disruptive, you should be able to bring your personality to work without issue.

The easiest rule to follow is to make sure you’re not being disrespectful to anyone by being yourself. It’s fine to make jokes, but not if your jokes are making your colleagues uncomfortable. And you certainly shouldn’t be carried away such that you’re having fun at the expense of getting work done.

It’s not always about just humour, either. Suppose your workplace has a very strict dress code, then follow it. But find a way to express your personal style and ethic in the work you do. Your work is always the best place to express your individuality, and that way you don’t run the risk of being disrespectful to anyone.