We All Wear Masks

We all wear masks. And in this case I’m not speaking of the literal masks that we’ve all gotten accustomed to wearing on our trips to the grocery store in our COVID-19 world. I’m speaking of metaphorical masks. And while these metaphorical masks do provide protection at times, we do not need them (unlike the real ones). In fact, masks are hindrances to living full lives. Incongruent living is exhausting. When our thoughts, emotions, or actions do not align with our internal standards or convictions; it is draining. Pretending to be someone we are not, or simply not knowing who we are; it is grueling work. In all areas of our lives – and our professional masks keep us from working at our full potential.

Another way to define incongruent living is lacking self-awareness. When we are not comfortable in our own skin, how can we make good decisions, develop good habits or build accountability? It cannot be done. Inauthenticity is one of the easiest traits to spot in a person, and it is an active repellent to interpersonal connection. In the professional realm, no one wants to work with an inauthentic person.

Think about someone you work with who is negative about their role, points the finger instead of taking responsibility, and cannot follow through with tasks or meet deadlines. (This even may describe you … sorry). This person is someone who lacks self-awareness and is putting on a mask to protect themselves from perceived judgment from others.

From the above description, it is easy to see that as a professional, a lack of self-awareness is also selfishness. Self-awareness comes in the form and pursuit of selflessness. The good news is this: selflessness can be grown and developed. We can learn how to be more self-aware and selfless, and it only comes with practice.

How do we begin to live with congruency, authenticity and self-awareness? First, we HAVE TO tell ourselves the truth. About everything. About every aspect of our lives. We also HAVE TO be willing to listen and hear the truth, no matter how difficult. In order to grow, we start where we are right now. Honestly, where else are we going to start? As much as we would like to be further along in our careers, the only way to get there is to start moving from where we are now. Let’s start now. Let’s start asking ourselves these questions every day while at work:

• How can I contribute to my team today?
• How can I help someone else with a task today?
• Do I need to ask someone else for help with a task?
• How can I give someone credit for his/her work today?
• How can I show someone that YOU MATTER today?

Living out these questions will not solve everything. It is a start from where we are now though. Living out these questions will help us shed the mask and become the self-aware and selfless teammate we are meant to be. So, take off the mask - we don’t need them. Keep the real ones though!

Contact us to find out more about how to turn the answers to these questions into habits that positively impact our interactions with the people around us.