Finding workplace freedom in an age of restraint
I went to a punk show recently. It was to watch a band I was into, circa 1995, who at the time could inspire wild abandon, pandemonium and pure release in their live audience. Frantic mosh pits, front of stage, the kind where you might fear for your life, but were also glad to be alive.
Anyone that has been front of stage of late will know that these free-for-alls were once a place of ultimate freedom, and are now merely a figment of our ageing imagination; militantly patrolled to prevent any hint of debauchery or excess- they’ve certainly lost their manic edge.
As a business psychologist, I work across diverse workplaces that all seem to be tormented by the same restraint. Creativity is often constrained, humour is mistaken for insensitivity. The culture is still one that desperately wants to preserve categories and therefore anyone who is slightly unruly, left of centre, or outspoken is at risk of being misunderstood, or stymied in their efforts to get ahead.
For individuals and managers alike, there is a lot of merit in preserving the punk rocker self – that part
of us that is often repressed in the corporate environment. Here is some practical know how:
- To thy shadow-self be true: We have come to repress our shadow-selves, that collection of quirky traits that are not as easily tolerated in a workplace, the parts of us that we choose to keep hidden in the dark- recklessness, restlessness and runaway imaginations. These idiosyncrasies not only make us memorable, but also provide the complexity to our character, the authenticity to our relationships, the alter ego that is unrestrained and unedited in the mosh pit.
- Dare to be vulnerable: We are constantly told to be vulnerable, particularly as leaders, however we still exist largely in workplaces where people have difficulty sharing their feelings openly. We are encouraged to unleash our radical side through youthful rebellion, otherwise known as “challenging the status quo”, however this rarely goes down without a fight.
Research, such as that from highly acclaimed scholar and author Brene Brown, demonstrates that appropriate vulnerability – being open and guarded in the right way- can bless the people a leader works with. Great leaders recognise that strong relationships are built on openness, personal story telling, and self-disclosure. They recognise and share that they don’t have all the answers, and a result they hire people that are better than them- smarter, faster, with more potential- that’s where the real magic happens. - Endorse the originality in your people. As a people manager, it is critical that you nurture all talent- the studious, the wild and the quirky. This means hiring for uniqueness from the outset. It means celebrating the contribution that each individual brings, their unique way of looking at the world and approach to their work.
It also means being mindful of our human tendency to gravitate towards those most similar to us, throwing off any balance, squandering any hope of originality. Many studies find that environments involving complex decisions and creativity, more diverse teams vastly outperform their less diverse counterparts. Too much similarity can lead to teams that are overconfident, ignore vital information and make poor, even unethical decisions.
