Don’t bring all of your authentic self to the cannabis office

Bringing your authentic or whole self to the workplace is all the rage in many companies. This is wide ranging idea has many facets. As examples,  teams are more effective if colleagues truly understand each other.  Businesses need to care about and respond to issues that affect their staff’s well-being.  And, leaders ought to show their personal side to better relate to their subordinates.

These are not wokey sentiments:  they are often necessary to build a healthy culture. Like many good ideas, however, they have a downside when taken to extremes or applied clumsily.  The cannabis sector is particularly vulnerable to shortcomings given its newness, dynamism and youngish workforce.

Problems arise when cannabis workers overshare their personal lives, habits and peccadillos in physical and online domains:

1) Corporate insincerity

Happy management talk should not hide the fact that cannabis businesses exist to serve shareholders and consumers.  Most cannabis firms have a hierarchal structure and decision-making process, requiring employees right up to the CEO to follow orders and reinforce corporate interests.  Corporate-speak that ignores this reality (especially during times of financial stress) often ends up being perceived as cynical, disingenuous and manipulative.

2) Employee distractions

Too much authenticity along with employee oversharing can easily turn into a cacophony of unprofessional communications, drama and cringy employee exploits, leading to a decline in professional standards and reduced productivity.  Remote work arrangements can fuel these distractions by increasing the psychological distance between people and removing some regulative in-person norms. Out of good taste, some things ought to remain private.  
 
3) Career constraining

Being your whole self can bring serious, often hidden career risk. Everyone has a combination of good and bad qualities.  Career success is about emphasizing the good (e.g., your can-do attitude or problem-solving skills) and hiding the bad (e.g., always losing your wallet or having a bad temper). While your peers may be celebrating your authenticity chances are your older boss is frowning at your unprofessional behavior or social media posts that embarrass the firm. Your manager may not say anything, but they are keeping receipts for your future performance review.

Honestly, most co-workers don’t care as much about you as you think.  Don’t be lulled into a false sense of security by a colleague’s fake sincerity or sharing of personal details.  Cunning rivals use these tactics as a ploy to get what they want or hide their true feelings.

Be a decent, empathetic person but also sensible and mature. In other words, bring your 'role' self. 

#management #culture #authenticity #employeeengagement #morale #wholeself