What does giving your ‘full self’ in work mean when you’re starting out?
To give your ‘full self’ in your role is different to giving ‘all of you’. Many people when they’re starting out end up doing the latter. It can be easy to throw yourself all in – work all the hours, say yes to everything, generally overload. But that can come at a cost. Your full self is nuanced and enables you to be considered and effective in your work.
This is especially important in the PR, creative and marketing industries. I often say these are industries that ask a lot of the people that work in them. They will take everything you give. So, it’s important to be conscious and deliberate in what you give and how.
Earlier this week I saw a LinkedIn post about a recent panel event for the Taylor Bennett Foundation. The young people involved sounded so incredibly smart and motivated, clear on what they needed to do to make their careers. All future focused and passionate about what lay ahead. They spoke of the importance of ‘giving your full self’.
I love the sentiment; this is an industry you have to embrace. You can’t phone it in. Which makes it an interesting concept - whilst it’s an admirable intention, the reality is harder than it sounds.
So what does ‘giving your full self’ require and how do you give it?
1. It asks for more than just energy - it’s a more conscious investment.
To learn, adapt, fail, build, sacrifice. You change with every experience – good and bad. Every relationship, challenge and opportunity. Career firsts and milestones. They all form who you are and how you work. With all that going on, it’s OK to lose track of the self sometimes; if you do, trust that you will find it again.
2. It asks for focus, not volume.
It can be tempting to volunteer for everything, speed through tasks as quickly as possible and try to be exposed to as many new experiences as you can. But that won’t serve you or your team in the long term. Your full self is attentive, conscientious and effective. It knows where you’re putting your energy and why. It ensures there’s impact and progress, not just noisy output.
3. It asks you to understand how you operate.
Rather than just throwing yourself in and navigating challenges as they arise, the ‘full self’ is aware of how to work best for you. Try to have an understanding of things like what drives you, what drains you. How you tend to feel in certain situations. How to play to your strengths, overcome weaknesses and look out for your blind spots. And how these things are evolving as you grow. Knowing what makes you tick helps keep you going when things get tough and helps you manage situations.
4. It asks for a little less on some days.
No one can give 100% every day, no matter what they say. It’s entirely natural. Repeatedly forcing it when it’s not there just leads to burnout, so cut yourself some slack if there are days when you need to give a little less. Identify what your full self looks like each day and work towards what is possible.
Doing this reflection on your own is hard, especially when you’re starting out. When you're in the role, inside the pressure, excitement and adrenaline, you can forget to look up or inward. For some, looking inward can feel a bit indulgent when there’s another deadline approaching.
That's why coaching exists. Not to tell you who you are or tell you how you should work, but to give you the opportunity to work it out for yourself. Through one-to-one coaching, you can identify what your full self is and how you can give it. No one else can tell you how to do that.
Go get the career you want. Give your full self. And know what you're giving.