I have a big problem with the workplace. Well, I have A LOT of problems with the workplace, actually, but this happens to be rather high on my list.
I guess I’m sort of a creeper, to a certain extent, because I observe people all the time. That’s my thing.
I watch and I listen and I realize how ridiculously crazy people are most of the time while they’re at work.
A lot of people tend to feel that they need to put on some kind of front while at work…they can’t be themselves. Instead, they have to be perfect. ALWAYS.
So they put on their suits and they cary their briefcases and they walk from meeting to meeting, focusing on numbers and on the latest budget reports. They’re serious all the time. They can’t laugh, they can’t joke. Because that would make them unprofessional.
Now, I get that people have to work. I also understand that we have to focus on numbers and on budgets and reports.
But in doing so, we can’t forget there’s also a human side to work. Work isn’t just numbers. Work isn’t just reports. Work isn’t just about the bottom line.
Work is also about human relationships. Work is about BUILDING those human relationships.
Because without those relationships, work is not possible.
It’s okay to show that human side of yourself while you’re at work. It’s okay to have a personality. It’s okay to be nice to people.
We’re not robots.
And honestly, I’ve found that when you share that human side of yourself with others, people are more receptive towards you. People like you more because you’re honest. You’re silly. You’re NOT perfect. You’re just like everyone else. You’re human.
A little crazy. A little messed up. A little not-so-put-together.
So don’t be afraid to open up every once in a while.
For example, I was running into work not too long ago wearing these pants that were super long on me. Since they were so long, and I hadn’t had them hemmed yet, I had to wear 5 inch heels. So I decided to take the elevator instead of the stairs, and you know what happened? I got off the elevator, took 4 steps, my heel got stuck in a crack on the floor, and I fell. On my face. The best part was…I didn’t just fall, I also ripped my pants. Big time.
So I got up, continued walking to my office, and when people greeted me with the usual, “Good Morning! How are you?” my response to them was NOT, “Fine, thanks.”
Instead, it was more like “Wonderful, thanks, I ripped my pants! Isn’t that great?”
And you know what? People didn’t look at me and scold me for being honest. Instead, they laughed and some of them even shared with me their own embarrassing stories.
So my point is, don’t be the kind of person at work who has the personality of a tree. Be true to who you are, don’t put on a front, and you’ll be much more likely to build those human relationships which are essential to career success.
PLUS… you’ll be wayyyy cooler in my book.
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Couldn’t agree more. I used to work in a place that was FULL of robots, and it was the most boring thing ever. Plus, I felt like a massive phoney most of the time, because I was definitely not that perfect.
Now, I work in an office where everything is up for discussion – personal injuries, periods and porn. It’s excellent 😀
Great post!
Great post. Thank you for sharing.
Totally with you on this one… perfect is boring. And unmemorable. There is something disarming about someone who isn’t afraid to take down the front. Just because you’re not stiff does not mean you’re not behaving professionally.
Ps. Staplers work great for ripped pants.
Ah, yes. Honesty and authenticity are wayyy cooler no matter where you are. I salute you.
I totally agree! I think too often people confusing being perfect or “professional” with being cold and boring. I think a lot of people in the workplace need to loosen up a little.
Great post! So true – you spend almost all your day with your coworkers and it’s much more enjoyable when you can be open, honest , and silly with them!
-S
I really liked this post! Sorry about your pants though, but your confidence and undeniable charisma totally covered for you 🙂
Thanks for sharing <3
Hilarious!!! That’s priceless material right there…your experience at work I mean. On a more serious note, I couldn’t agree with you more on the idea of letting your personality shine through a bit more at the workplace. Keep up the blogging Kayla, you’re doing a great job!
I agree with this post 1000%. However, and this is a BIG HOWEVER, not being a robot is inappropriate in many companies as I found out when i got fired from my job. I always tried to shake things up, but apparently the management never appreciated that at all. Also, I loved the comment about ripping your pants. Not only did I do this once on a counter at my former job once, but I did the same thing the next day with another pair of pants as well. The second time around I let the manager know of the sharp corner and they reimbursed me for the price of getting a new pair of pants. Unfortunately, that company is long out of business, probably from paying off too many pairs of pants!
Great words. We are all imperfect and have moments of ripped pants. Grace & authenticity are essential to really live!
I totally agree – and advocate for people finding work settings that allow them to be their truest self. I decided to work in academia precisely because I can be “me” – no dress code, freedom to pursue what I actually find interesting, and the room to make jokes with my students about all the ways I’m messing up on any given day! 🙂
Well, I have to put on a facade for customers, otherwise I’d probably get fired. However, I am way more honest about how I’m feeling with my coworkers. We’ll tell each other how it really is, no problem.
Being yourself and allowing others to be comfortable in their own skin are key to a successful, engaged organization. Too bad many companies still live in the dark ages.
Reblogged this on tallagency and commented:
Another insightful article from GEN Y girl. Always good value.
Cheers Michael
Kayla I’ve nominated you for the Versatile Blogger Award. You work is an inspiration for all members of Generation Y, myself included. The rules for the award can be found here http://will2meaning.com/2013/05/19/versatile-blogger-award-acceptance-speech/
Congrats! Michael
A couple of days ago I had one, just one, really sweaty foot at work. I made sure everyone knew.
Hahahahaha lol this made me laugh so hard just now! Thanks for sharing 🙂
I ripped my pants once… the girl who noticed thought i had a bright neon pink post-it on my butt… yeah, it was that big.
Great post! Continued success.
Jeff,
Redo…
I should be grateful I work where one min it can be all about work and the next it’s about how the people on Jeremy Kyle’s show cannot be real as no one’s life should be that messed up 😛
So….then, like, what happened next?! Did you change clothes or just show off your panties all day, or do some DIY fix? Ya can’t leave us hanging like this! 😛
Hahaha honestly I was able to find a pair of scrub pants in my trunk since I basically live out of my car. Aaand I found a pair of extra sneakers in there too. So I spent the day in scrub pants and a nice button down shirt from Express. Very stylish lol
Hey Kayla,
Since you started following my blog a couple of weeks ago, I have read quite a few posts of yours (and followed you back, of course). I really love your positivity, enthusiasm and drive.
I totally agree with how you feel here, and I think the same thing applies to graduate school too. At least in my experience during my 1.5 years (well, it was two, but second year was part-time, so it had the same effect as being there for 1.5, but I won’t bore you with the details), I found that many people, myself included, started to be “less human” in a lot of ways. And I went to a relatively small law school, too, so everyone was pretty friendly and knew each other, but as the semester went on… well, it’s hard for me to describe all the things, but people changed. Some were subtle, but for others, drastically. Some people became more closed off over time. Everything had become so regimented, and everyone had to act “professional” all the time that a lot of interactions themselves were not quite as natural. It was the kind of environment that simply made people more uptight, and honestly, when social outings are mostly planned by student groups to bars (Thursdays were bar nights), and almost everyone you know from school is there, things just aren’t nearly as interesting. You feel like you should be on your best behavior, be less opinionated, and so on. Sometimes, even when you’re not being uptight and just hanging out in a smaller group, there’s still this pressure there to maintain your image that you’ve cultivated in the “professional” environment, and your topics of conversation don’t stray too far from a narrow focus of what you feel like are the appropriate topics.
And I’m totally guilty of all that stuff too, so I’m not just pointing fingers at other people. The irony is that I started out my first semester there being more uptight, less social, but I learned to open up more, sometimes forcing myself to, and made more friends as time went on. The thing, like I said, is that I often felt like there was always this pressure to be “professional,” and hanging out sometimes felt stressful instead of relaxing, even though I most definitely liked seeing everyone and was still having a good time. I don’t know if that makes sense, and sorry if it doesn’t, but it was very easy to get contradictory feelings.
Anyway, that was just some rambling someone who has experienced some similar kind of things in a different environment. I really appreciate you sharing your thoughts about this, and it’s nice to not feel so alone. Thank you very much, also, for the follow, and I look forward to reading more from you!
Kai
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