'Bring your whole self to work - what do you think?

[Lottapianos]

This is the latest trendy slogan in my workplace. I think it's about how no one should feel ashamed to share what they have going on in their lives, or to ask for help, or to share that they are struggling. Not a bad idea in principle I guess...

HOWEVER.... My colleagues are not my friends. Well a few are but you know what I mean. They're not my therapists either. I'm a private person - I chat to colleagues and I'm fairly sociable but I certainly don't let it all hang out emotionally. I have stuff going on in my life that I wouldn't dream of sharing widely at work. In the same way, I honestly don't want to hear the in

'You ask ‘How do you feel about it?’ quite a lot…

Reminds me of a journalist!! So odd.'

Oh lord, how tiresome 🤦🏻‍♂️ go and find something else to do

My workplace keeps banging on about being good allies, and what all these good allies feel about how important it is to be good at allying.

I'm lesbian, I'm out at work, it's really not something I want to be front and centre about me. It's really one of the most boring parts about my life,

I hope they get an adult baby complete with nappy turn up
Bring your professional self to work is my motto
Does this mean functional alcoholics are allowed a drink at work?

And I'd ask my 'betters' how the fuck they managed to get away with a complete absence of knowledge, competence and ability to take responsibility for their inadequate communication or planning to the extent that tasks that should have been completed two months ago when us minions said it had to be completed by have been totally ignored (because they're minions, what would they know?) until the day before the shit hits the fan - and now they are thrashing around blaming the minions for not completing the tasks in under a fucking hour. Whilst about to have another fucking payrise on an already ridiculous fucking salary.

Nobody needs my whole self in the office.

Every year a status comes up in my Facebook memories moaning about this very same initiative. Was sometime around 2010. I have resisted bring most of myself to work ever since.
In common with previous posters we are currently going through a phase of menopause, menstruation and breastfeeding talks in team meetings. Not necessary.

😂😂😂

Lol! Yep, I'm on my way with my skin picking, hair pulling, pica, stimming, and extreme social awkwardness. I'm sure my colleagues would be so relieved to meet my whole self.

"Yeh they should clarify that they want your whole professional self. All of your attention. All of your focus. All of your passion. All of your ideas! All of your energy."

I've never seen this phrase before - but this is what I would have thought it meant - that it was a criticism that my mind wasn't fully on the job - that I was only half awake or not concentrating as I was thinking what to cook for tea or looking forward to the weekend etc

when I get paid for bringing my whole self to work at a decent proportion of what the CEOs whole self earns (eg 1/15th at min) I’ll comply. When my whole self I bring to work will not be weighed down by the worry of how to pay energy bills or deal with inflation, or interest rates rises cos I’ve not had a decent wage rise in years, then I’ll comply . If I bring my whole self to work and express that I’m going to find a disciplinary adding to my whole self problems

it’s all bullshit to cover arses from claims for stress related illness.

There's one main guy that I could chat too out of most of my colleagues, there was a lady friend colleague that looks and has looked after me. But I have trust issues, and at times I presume people are busy with themselves and it's survival of the fittest so I either sink, or swim 🏊, or at least try to.

I agree op
I come to work to work, I don’t want to hear about everyone’s problems or share my own…
bah humbug

I absolutely agree that nobody should feel like they have to hide their religion/sexuality etc from their employers in case they’re discriminated against. But I really don’t care who you fancy or what you believe in, so long as your ability to do your job doesn’t impact on my ability to do my job.

Pressed post too soon. Isn’t it just another way of saying ‘we comply with the law’?

In which case I demand a sofa, Netflix and to be able to drink and fart in peace, at work

I also hate it. It has tens of thousands of employees and that will include people that punch their spouse after a bad day; the racists that hide it; the sex lives we want to know nothing about.

where the whole self is in conflict with being professional, let’s stick with professional.

I was on a course recently, about how to mentor colleagues.

The psychology was fascinating. Lots of comparisons with how badly things were in, say, the 80s. Which is no bad thing in itself but it's a reminder that the fundamental reason for it all is to make staff more productive. Wellbeing is just a means to that end.

Bring your Whole Self to Work is very much part of this. But I think the people around me understand very well that it doesn't mean behaving as you'd behave at home. What it's really understood as is bringing a refined version of yourself, ie, not having to pretend that you're something you're not, but nevertheless leaving some things at the office door.

TomPinch "What it's really understood as is bringing a refined version of yourself, ie, not having to pretend that you're something you're not, but nevertheless leaving some things at the office door."

but to some extent, this is just...normal working life. And there's always acting and pretence.

sidebar - interested to hear you did a mentoring course. I wish workplace mentors had explained stuff to me about the politics but I now think people are supposed to pick that up by osmosis.

Dark 💀

It's nonsense. My health & private life are exactly that - private. I have no wish to share this at work, nor hear about other people's issues - they are my colleagues, not my friends, and work needs to be a professional environment.
Plus, you go to work to actually do the job not waste time emoting & "sharing" all the time!

😂😂😂

Enough already with the whining workmates.

Yuk.

I’d settle for my manager listening regarding my MH in relation to my work and one suggestion I have that would ease things. It would take about an hour, maybe 90 minutes once at some point and something that would boost my confidence about my work a lot. They do it fFor new starters. They don’t have time for it unfortunately.

No, no no! Entirely unprofessional.

When was this a thing?
When I worked, you had to leave your "self" at home.

I would take this to mean 'be totally present when you are here'. Not share your personal stuff - leave that at home but don't spend your company time worrying about it.