By Michelle Motyka

Affinity Consulting Group

USFN Associate Member

In today’s diverse workplace, it is important to create an environment where individuals feel comfortable expressing their true selves. People from diverse backgrounds bring unique perspectives and experiences to work with them every day. It is important to do more than just recognize these differences, but to also create a safe space for people to be their authentic selves at work.

Why is authenticity so important in the workplace? Authenticity refers to being true to oneself and embracing your own unique qualities without fear of judgment or criticism. Creating a collaborative work environment that allows people to bring their whole selves to work yields numerous benefits for both the individual and the organization.

For the individual, it builds trust and open communication among team members. Having that trust and a feeling of acceptance leads to free sharing of thoughts and ideas. For the organization, having increased participation from a diverse group of people can lead to improved problem solving and teamwork. Accepting people for their true selves can also reduce workplace discrimination, fostering a sense of belonging which can help prevent biases from impeding collaboration and productivity.

Keep in mind, your authentic self is made up of many different parts. It is your gender, race, sexual orientation, and religious beliefs, but also includes other personality traits, like communication style, that make up who you are. You may be an introvert or extrovert, be a big picture thinker or love the minutia of the details. You may be more vocal, or a listener, more emotional or more logical; the list goes on. If we are not careful, we can easily cause offense or feelings of judgment by appearing to be unaccepting of these traits.

How can we work toward embracing authenticity in the workplace?

1. Conduct diversity and inclusion training to help build empathy and understanding. One challenge with the true self is that for many of us, our own unique backgrounds can result in unconscious bias. Education helps us recognize, challenge, and move past these biases.
2. Provide training about communication styles.  There are various tools available, such as the DiSC assessment, which can help people better understand their own communication style, as well as the styles of those they work with. Improving employee communication can help them to align their focus and create a more cohesive team. These exercises also demonstrate how important it is for people with different styles to be involved to make a group more successful.
3. Encourage open communication among team members. Create opportunities for individuals to share perspectives and challenges with each other. At the outset, it might be necessary for leaders to talk to team members individually to understand what would help each of them feel more included or more comfortable speaking up in meetings.
4. Organize events and activities that celebrate different cultures, traditions, and identities. Ask people to share stories of their holiday experiences. Have a monthly virtual happy hour where you ask people to share a hobby, or a favorite place they have traveled, to build a community and give everyone a chance to speak.

Accepting a co-worker's authentic self is not only the right thing to do, but it is also a crucial building block for a thriving, inclusive, and innovative workplace. By creating an environment that values diversity and embraces everyone’s unique qualities, organizations can unlock the full potential of their employees. Let us strive to foster a workplace culture where everyone feels respected, accepted, and empowered to be their authentic selves.

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June 2023 USFN e-Update