OthereducationEdTech Innovations
Embracing Authenticity Over Professionalism at Work
Picture a conference room where everyone sits with perfect posture, button-down shirts starched stiff, eyes glazed over while staring at a slide promising to 'leverage strategic capabilities. ' Let's be honest—nobody in that room is doing their best work.They're simply performing, nodding pleasantly while mentally calculating their next bathroom break or rehearsing when to interject with some agreeable, jargon-filled platitude. This elaborate dance of 'business theater,' as I've come to call it after interviewing hundreds of professionals about their workplace experiences, serves nobody.I spent a decade as a management consultant serving Fortune 500 clients, and I delivered my share of corporate jargon, understanding the deep-seated instinct to telegraph competence and fit in. Yet Princeton researcher Daniel M.Oppenheimer's brilliantly titled study 'Consequences of Erudite Vernacular Utilized Irrespective of Necessity' revealed what many intuitively sense: unnecessary complexity in language consistently correlates with lower perceived intelligence. When we perform professionalism, people notice the artifice, and it undermines both perception and genuine connection.Gallup's research underscores connection's critical role—employees with a best friend at work are significantly more likely to engage customers, innovate, and find joy in their tasks. This matters profoundly when over half of Americans report feeling lonely, according to WebMD Health Services.The problem isn't true professionalism—delivering quality work with kindness and decency—but rather the performance that muffles our humanity. Whether through jargon, rigid dress codes, or platitudes, we round our corners to blend in, yet what we truly seek is connection, which requires letting others see who we are.Breaking free demands courage. I've mentally eyerolled in jargon-heavy meetings before adding my own jargon, finding it easier to play along.But as I've gradually shed the performance—speaking plainly, wearing T-shirts, sharing life details with colleagues—I've found greater happiness. Some may judge this casual approach, but I'll gladly trade their judgment for my comfort.For those ready to unbutton that top button, try these human-centered experiments: First, run the alien test—imagine an advanced civilization observing your workplace norms. They'd understand comfortable clothing for warmth but find ties baffling 'dangly nooses.' Second, talk like a human—replace 'leverage' with 'use,' 'action items' with 'to-dos. ' Third, humanize your space with personal items that ground you.Fourth, dress for joy within your organization's bounds—happy employees are up to 20% more productive, but happiness itself is justification enough. Finally, model humanity by sharing glimpses of your life, eating when hungry, showing up with wet hair post-exercise. These small acts cultivate environments where people don't hide their humanity—or their best selves.
#workplace culture
#authenticity
#professionalism
#communication
#employee engagement
#human connection
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