This post was written by our Director of Behavioural Learning and Head of our Perform division, Roger Ayres.
For many years, people have come to me for advice after being told during performance discussions to ‘be themselves more’ and at the same time ‘flex their style’ to work more effectively with others. Surely there is a natural tension between these two positions so how can you make sense of it?
What I recommend is first to look at ourselves more broadly and acknowledge that almost all of our behaviour is already authentic but at the same time it differs depending on the situation. I have yet to meet a person who behaves the same way all the time - at home, with colleagues, with their boss or on a night out with friends. So, having a fixed idea of our authentic self needs examining, re-evaluating and widening.
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