To thrive in differing environments, it’s normal to change and alter how we choose to interact. The way we relate with others in a team meeting at work when we have the role of ‘leader’ is likely going to look quite different than the way we relate to personal situations in which we hold the role of ‘friend’ or ‘family member.’
Adjusting how we present ourselves is necessary for bridging the gap between our professional and personal lives. While some may span the distance easily, others may experience difficulty in finding our footing. Some may struggle to assimilate to a work environment with a very different kind of culture — finding ourselves constantly at odds with the norms and customs around us. Others may feel uncomfortable with or discouraged from being our true selves — finding ourselves exhausted after constantly putting on a mask that doesn’t fit quite right.
There is a balance between these two extremes. While you don’t want to constantly clash with your organization’s culture and norms (how formal interpersonal interactions tend to be, what is appropriate to discuss when and with whom, etc.), forcing yourself to be someone who doesn't feel like your true self can be emotionally taxing.
And, in some cases, struggling with conflicting identity may not have as much to do with personal vs. work identities, but instead manifest as problems reconciling holding multiple roles or identities at work. For instance, transitioning into a leadership role when you are accustomed to only having responsibility for yourself and your own work could be a jarring and even uncomfortable jump to make.
Ideally, the process of reconciling identity should primarily be a process of growth. You will learn more about yourself — abilities you didn’t know you had before, new areas of interest, and even places you may wish to take your career that you hadn’t considered before.
Managing who you are at work
The task of managing, adjusting, and transitioning between the different roles you hold in your life will look completely different for different people. Some may be more comfortable fully embodying their role at work as a separate identity, where others place high value on authenticity and don’t want to adjust themselves between personal and workplace spheres.
Finding what is best for you will take time, and there may be a bit of effort required to find what helps you make work fulfilling and meaningful.
Here are some guidelines to consider when assessing whether you are comfortable with who you are at your workplace:
- Can you offer your unique perspective? Do you feel comfortable offering a contrary opinion? If you disagree with someone else’s point of view, do you tend to voice your ideas? If not, take a moment to question why. If it’s because you are reluctant to stand out from the crowd, giving it a try may show you that your unique experiences and insights are appreciated by your colleagues. If it’s that you are afraid of pushback, try bringing up concerns with a supervisor or leader.
- Are you experiencing exhaustion? Exhaustion can come from either side of the spectrum — trying too hard to conform can lead you to burning out from the effort, but striving for complete authenticity could backfire, resulting in a feeling of always being at odds with your organization. To cultivate a healthier environment, you can start by making small adjustments (like attending fewer or more social events, dressing in a specific way, or even personalizing your space at work). If you still feel at odds, asking for what you need or setting up clearer boundaries may be the next step.
- Find what resonates with you. What is meaningful to you about your work? Perhaps you prefer working collaboratively (embodying the role of ‘teammate’) rather than working individually (embodying a more self-sufficient and pioneering kind of role). To the extent that you can, focus on the work that resonates with you more. Identify what qualities make it more meaningful, and potentially strive to work on more projects that also have these qualities.
- Embrace and integrate changes. Throughout your career, just as throughout your life, you will change. At times, you may find that you have to accept that an authentic identity is not a stable identity, or even a single identity. Try holding space for feeling differently in separate roles and at various times in your life. Then, attempt to find a core identity — an overarching purpose or common personal values, perhaps — that can aggregate and unite rather than distinguish these multiple roles. Actively seeking harmony between identities can often remedy feelings of conflict.
Inhabiting multiple identities can boost creativity
Within the workplace, we may find ourselves outside of our comfort zone by inhabiting many roles at once. We may be both a leader and a follower; both a manager and a producer. While this need to embody different identities can be uncomfortable, it forces us to step out of what we are familiar with to take a look at a situation from a different perspective. In this way, according to research, the potential ambivalence that results from fulfilling many different roles contributes to increased creativity at work.
This insight can be important to remember on an individual level. If you feel conflicted about how to approach a situation based on differences in workplace identities, proactively integrating various sources of information and ideas can contribute to higher-quality problem solving.
Encouraging such productive processes of identity reconciliation can be helpful on an organizational level as well. Here are some ways leaders can help employees experience the benefits of holding multiple identities at work:
- Offer opportunities for experiencing other identities. Allow an employee to work on a project they may not have otherwise. Let members of a team try inhabiting a role they haven’t before. Provide additional guidance to someone who is attempting to reconcile identity conflict.
- Create the right kind of environment. Ensure employees are comfortable with voicing unique ideas and insight. Regularly invite team members to offer an alternative perspective, and show appreciation for those who do so. Encourage healthy disagreement rather than shutting it down.
- Provide training. An organization could always consider providing employees training in how to look at things from multiple perspectives, as well as how to approach problem solving in new ways.
We can see that while there are many benefits to navigating multiple roles in an organization, there are also challenges that need to be addressed to ensure that burnout or role conflict do not become issues. Effective strategies, such as clear communication, time management, and supportive organizational policies, are crucial ways to start to maximize benefits and mitigate risks.
You don’t have to do it alone.
If you find yourself at a loss for where to start, let’s talk. As an organizational effectiveness consulting company, we have helped many clients navigate the challenges that arise from our rapidly changing organizational landscape and the many hats leaders have to quickly adapt to as a result. We would love to be part of your journey as you face both the successes and difficulties that lie ahead. If you’d like a free consultation to learn more about how our expertise, assessments, professional coaching, leadership development training, or strategy planning sessions can help you or your organization, contact us for a no-obligation, free consultation by clicking this link: Innovative Connections or calling us at 970-279-3330.
Our mission is to give voice and action to an emerging future. As a partner in your success, we would love to help you find your voice, see your vision, and imagine what the right action could be for you, your team, and your organization.