Balancing the expectations of the workplace with being authentic
What it means to be professional
Being seen as professional is essential for success in the workplace. What being professional means will depend on the person you ask, but it usually includes two elements. One has to do with the work itself. A professional person is someone who has the skill and knowledge they need, is reliable and takes responsibility for their work. But another, equally important element is how they show up: their appearance, communication style and how they present themselves. How to behave, look and speak is usually something that is not explicitly told, but something we are expected to pick up on and apply.
Conforming to the norms
The unwritten rules of what it means to be professional vary depending on the sector, the specific role, the example set by leadership and the age of most people working there. It can mean looking put together, but not too polished. Being sociable enough to show up at events, but not sharing too much about your personal life. It could be the expectation to speak up in meetings and be present enough to be noticeable, but also not take up too much space. Owning your accomplishments, but also being humble about it. Over time, all these rules combined can make it hard to feel authentic at work.
When being professional means not being authentic
At the same time, most humans feel the deep human need to connect with others and to build a career that fits who we are. While following the modeled behavior might make it seem easier to fit in, that is not the same as truly connecting with others. To build true connections, we must be able to be ourselves without feeling the fear of judgment. Feeling connected to others calms our nervous system, allowing us to be creative and resilient. It invites us to create a long-term commitment to the group we form a part of. For the workplace, this means staying loyal to the company even when other offers are presented to us.
Feeling the freedom to be ourselves means feeling valued for our contributions, perspectives and unique qualities. It means building a career path based on our natural skills, interests and unique personality traits. Being able to grow on our own terms means finding true fulfilment in the work we do.
Expanding our view of professionalism
The expectations we put on ourselves and others to behave in a certain way in the workplace are created by all of us and affect all of us. While some expectations are necessary for the workplace to function, other rules are created over time and simply not questioned often enough to change them.
I would like to invite you to reflect on what it means to be professional for you. Are all the elements that make up your idea of being professional truly necessary? Where do you feel that your own perspective on expected behavior at work is limiting you in connecting to others, or in finding fulfilment in your work?