Bringing one’s whole self to work

Model bringing one s whole self to work, and give permission for and encourage others to do so. 

Bringing One s Whole Self to Work What Do We Mean and Why Does It Matter ... 

In this section, we discuss the key aspects of inclusion in organizations that are communicated by the phrase bringing one s whole self to work, together with some of their applied implications. Our argument comprises four central assertions (1) each of us has different degrees of awareness regarding our multiple identities... 

Bringing one s whole self to work is a process of self-definition. A key part of this involves our individual responsibility to understand our own cultural identity in other words, to learn how our connections to rituals, practices, and perspectives are products of our cultural experience as well as our individual history (Ferdman, 1995). To what degree am I aware of how much my taken-for-granted assumptions about what is appropriate and normal are culturally grounded And to what extent and in what ways am I able to express this awareness and these cultural connections For example, I may have certain beliefs about privacy and individual expression— whether inside or outside of work—that come from the norms, values, and practices common in my identity groups. Or I may have views about the appropriateness of discussing one s... 

Finally, bringing one s whole self to work requires humility. A key aspect of humility is that, at the same time that I claim my identities, I do not claim full ownership or definition of the groups those represent. For example, I may have a particular take on what it means to be Jewish, and can be proud and authentic about that, while recognizing that another Jew may have a different take on the same social identity. That way, I can be myself, grounded in my social identities, without placing myself and others in some kind of stereotypical bind. 

Bringing one s whole self does not constitute the freedom to behave impulsively at work in ways that will be detrimental to other people in that environment— and likely harmful to oneself as well (Roberts et al., 2009). Rather, we advocate for a more strategic approach to self-inclusion, in which individuals increase alignment between internal experiences and external expressions of the most valued and valuable aspects of their identities at work (Roberts, 2007). 

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