Are you in a good place in your career? Have you found a role and team that optimise you, that allow you to be your authentic self and boost your wellbeing?

Our careers are, typically, long journeys with lots of twists and turns. They are a big part of our lives and it seems evident that being the best version of ourselves is about being our authentic selves, even as that authentic self may evolve as we learn from others around us.

I wonder how many of you bear the scars of not being able to be your authentic selves, of lacking an environment where that was accepted and even nurtured? Perhaps some of you reading this will have experiences even this week of colleagues, teams, organisations and work cultures that have left you – your authentic self – feeling disheartened, depleted or stressed.

I was encouraged by a colleague to make discussion of the importance of our authentic selves the topic of our latest PTRC Fireside Chat last month. What an amazing Panel we had, a group of wonderful humans willing to share their journeys, their struggles and triumphs concerning authenticity, and their advice for others.

I would invite you to watch the YouTube recording of the Fireside Chat (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CxCOyRSCrYg) but if you are pressed for time, I am pleased to now provide the writeup of the event for you to be able to download and perhaps share with others.

My very grateful thanks to our Panel: Sharon Kindleysides, Sonya Byers, Lynn Basford, Alyn Jones, Hannah Smart and Professor Paul Olomolaiye. Thanks also to the Ethical Secret Transport Planner, and of course also to my Fireside Chat buddy Brogan McPherson.

A few taster snippets from the writeup:

🤘 Your mental health and wellbeing should be your top priority

🤘 It can take a long time to be confident being you but it’s worth it

🤘 When you are your authentic self you speak with conviction and grow credibility

🤘 People wear masks to work – it’s important to get behind the masks to better understand each other to help organisations thrive

🤘 “A comfort zone is a wonderful place but nothing ever grows there”

🤘 Be ‘aggressively transparent’ otherwise people will find you out!

🤘 Constructive challenge is a key skill we need

🤘 Educators and employers may both be falling short if they are not equipping people and work cultures to allow authenticity to thrive

P.S. It’s International Women’s Day!