Who are you really working with? | Pat Perry

It is interesting how different some people are outside of work.

Your co-workers may act one way at work and be a completely different person once they leave the work premises. Perhaps it is due to the workplace environment, expectations of professionalism and the “guards” people put up to protect themselves on the job.

Regardless of the reasons, it is a shame that authenticity sometimes lacks in the workplace.

The lack of authenticity can have a direct impact on the level of trust and working relationships amongst co-workers. For instance, it can be a challenge to work well with a co-worker when it is obvious they are putting on a facade. The more authentic a person is at work, the easier it is to get to know and respect them.

Even if some people attempt to hide who they truly are, true personalities often emerge in a variety of circumstances. If you want to understand a co-worker, observe their behavior in the following situations:

• When they play competitive sports — If your company provides opportunities for co-workers to play in organized after-work sports leagues, how people play the games can give you great insight into their competitive nature and sense of fair play.

A great example is the game of golf. Golf seems to bring out true character. How well people keep score, stick to the rules, and follow golf etiquette provide great insight on an individual. Those who cheat on their scorecard, move their ball for a better lie, kick their ball into the fairway or from behind a tree, booze it up, get angry, disregard basic golf decorum and disrespect caddies/golf course employees may not be the ideal co-worker or team player at work.

• Social gatherings — How co-workers act at after-work functions and outings (e.g., holiday parties) are often great indicators if the person at work is the same person outside of work.

• Under pressure — Does your co-worker go from Dr. Jekyll to Mr. Hyde when the pressure is on at work? How people handle the pressure of meeting deadlines, workload, and change offers a glimpse into a co-worker’s reliability when the heat is on, and their ability to maintain composer in the most challenging of times.

• Sense of humor — A good sense of (tasteful) humor goes a long way at work. The ability to smile, laugh, make light of tough situations, and laugh at ourselves create work atmospheres that are fun and enjoyable.

• Participation on teams — How co-workers act in team situations showcase their ability to work well with others.

• Complainers — Complaining is a lazy alternative to identifying solutions to problems then doing something to fix the issues. Complaining does nothing to advance organizational missions or a positive workplace atmosphere. Next time someone complains about anything to you, ask them what they plan to do constructively about the situation.

• When something goes wrong — Mistakes happen all the time. How people accept responsibility for their mistakes reflects their ability to be accountable for their actions.

I do believe that you never really know whom you are working with if you only know them from the persona they portray at work. Sadly, when someone is not who they really are at work, it can be a reflection that the work itself, work environment, or the boss might be the cause.

Ideally, we all find workplaces where we can be ourselves and not have to act one way at work and then be ourselves when we leave for the day.

Pat Perry is ERC’s chairperson and author of “Re-shape Re-define Re-imagine.”