I'm probably about 70% me at work. When I started working so many years ago, it was probably more like 30%. Maybe by my last six weeks I'll top 90%. Maybe not.
Part of it is that I'm somewhat private at work. These people are my coworkers, not my friends. There's a difference in what I share.
Plus, I'm definitely squashing the fun side at work. I know this. Because work is... WORK! And if you are having fun can you really be working? There are times when people are having fun at work and I have a little struggle in my head... they're doing it, maybe I should do it, too. Especially if the boss is part of the fun. Don't want to be a stick in the mud, after all.*
I'm not sure where these messages came from but they are definitely lodged firmly in my brain.
So...the question du jour: What percentage of you are you at work? Is it right/reasonable to expect to bring 100% of you to work?
* Is a stick in the mud really not fun? What if you wiggle it or draw goofy faces with it?
05 August 2009
"I gotta be me!" --Sammy Davis, Jr.
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27 comments:
I'm like 60% me at work.
I dont cuss, I dress nice and I comb my hair.
so it's kind of a nice switch up
I am soooooooooo not me at work. Except with one girl... and someday it's gonna get me into trouble.
I love this idea!
I have two "me's" I call one the Nine to Five Lora and the other the Five to Nine Lora.
A few of my coworkers know my 5-9er self, and every once in awhile I bring a little 5-9 to my 9-5.
I guess the real ME is a balance between the two, the older I get. But for the purposes of this post, I'd say I leak about 50% of my true self into my workday, and I try to leave my workday at work.
This probably makes no sense.
Okay, being unemployed I'd say 100% me :-) (sorry couldn't resist).
When I was working, hmmm....well, I worked from home, so 100% me in the office and 10% conducting business on the phone with clients and co-workers (my co-workers liked to gossip and backstab - not my thing).
I'm a lot of fun at work when not mentoring younger co-workers so I guess you could say I'm about 10% me.
I'm reading your blog at work- does this help you determine the number?
I'm mostly me at work - maybe 70%? But I also hang out with a lot of co-workers outside of the office, sot here's bound to be some overlap.
I'd say 70% as well. I share an office with a young college grad and it's shocking how much he knows about me but the rest of my team? Not as much. Part of it is the role - I'm an analyst up to my eyes in spreadsheets all the time so there's no time for sharing or fun.
Mostly me, but I wish it was the confident me and not the shy me.
I was always relieved not to have to socialize with people at work. The separation was my salvation. That's why I'm dying to know WHO in my old office is reading my Blog a full two years after I retired!
I try not to subject anyone to the 100% me at anytime. I want to keep the few friends that I do have.
i am "the boss" and so i have to be that person and not becky. it sucks. meh, what're you gonna do? sell your soul for a few extra bucks? yes, yes i am.
I think I'm uber-me at work and I try to tone it down for the hub.
I'm about 85% of myself at work. I work at an ad agency and wear jeans and play with the office pets all day so it isn't too formal - but then again I can't make fart jokes in meetings - so how much of me is really here?
i'm maybe 40% myself. maybe. tops. but that's because my job is a little soul-sucking, and my coworkers are a little crazy-making, so i just keep myself to myself.
really, the only "me" that i bring to work involves being overly invested in things that don't matter, being kind of quiet, and kind of bitchy.
I think I'm somewhere in the 80% range, but it's weirdly uncomfortable that way. I'm still very conscious of every move I make, even if it's something I'd say or do anyway away from work.
I'm probably about 80 percent me, which is more than I've ever been in any other job. For me, it all has to do with atmosphere and the people you're working for.
I'd say its a sliding scale depending now who I'm working with at the moment. The higher ups get about 50% me, my employees about the same, people I am frieds with - that I do not work for and do not work for me - they get about 70% - and the one or two I consider acutal friends - 100%.
I don't like having to play "boss" I also HATE forced socializing with work folks but I have to tloerate both at good old Mega corp. At least for now.
It's definitely changed in the 5 years at this job. Starting at 25%, going as high as 90 and now that I'm all managerial, it's gone back down to 50 or 60%.
Unfortunately, I find no joy in the job anymore, so they get an extremely efficient drone around here. On those rare days when my good mood from outside of work spills over into the office, people get a little freaked out.
I don't feel like I'm suppressing myself at work. My home persona and work persona are two different things. They're both me, but I can get into trouble if I bring too much of the home persona to work, and I've definitely run into trouble bringing too much of my work persona home. Having great relationships with co-workers is not the primary goal at work, although good work relationships help. The relationships are the focus at home. I try to keep that in mind in deciding what to say or not say in both places and which battles to fight or not fight in both places. I may be rewarded for analytical thought and expression at work, but I might get bopped in the head if I'm too analytical at home.
I'm about 90-95% me at work. I love my job though, and I love being able to have fun doing it. So I'm happy and I'm able to be myself a bit more.
Thanks for the kind words about my father, I do believe we may get to bring him home from the hospital after all!
I am definitely 100% me at work which is both liberating and at times draining.
Matt: :) Sounds downright respectable.
LiLu: The trick is to have an equal amount of dirt on her, yes?
Lora: It makes perfect sense!
Little Ms Blogger: Backstabbers are the worst.
Herb of DC: :) Will the real Herb of DC please stand up...
Dmbosstone: Not as much as you might think. Based on the drop-off of hits over the weekend, I presume that 90% of blog-readers are reading at work.
Liebchen: Makes sense.
HKW: So, the role defines the level of self or the level of self defines the role or both?
Kate: Perhaps you can introduce her in small doses.
Barbara: Someone who appreciates interesting insights?
Mike: Awareness is the first step.
mylittlebecky: Hear, hear!
The Bug: You're less yourself with your hub? How unexpected.
Narm: It's 2009. The secretaries no longer want to be referred to as "pets".
kelsi: 'really, the only "me" that i bring to work involves being overly invested in things that don't matter, being kind of quiet, and kind of bitchy.' I fear this may bear a resemblance to work me, too. Oh, who am I kidding? Not just work me.
f.B: It sucks being super self-conscious, doesn't it? It does for me.
Kate: Couldn't agree more.
Tina: Sounds like you have an operating formula, at least.
urban bohemian: "efficient drone" sounds like a recipe for burnout.
Bowie Mike: So, multiple personalities are not necessarily a bad thing?
Angela: Being happy does make a huge difference.
kansasmediocrity: I hope so. As a relative used to say "from your mouth to god's ears."
Reya Mellicker: I'd think you'd have to be constantly present but are you really you or are you a conduit? Hm.
Depends a lot on who I'm with. I'm good friends with a number of colleagues, so 100%. Other people get anywhere from 10% up.
I get fired for pointing out that the Emporer wears no clothes.
Sheesh.
i'm waaaaay more me than i ever thought i'd be at this job. a huge part of it is that i work for one of my best friends (gertrude, on my blog) and she's super inappropriate, so we bring it out in each other. the other part is that we work in a really laid back office in a male dominated field, so the more inappropriate and raunchy we are, the more we fit in with the dudes.
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