Desperately Seeking Authenticity

It’s official. The word of the year — according to Merriam-Webster — isn't a new word. It’s not slang or something all the cool kids are talking about. It’s a word that’s been in the lexicon for centuries. 

It’s also one I’ve been using in my presentations and my business for years: Authentic. 

Funny enough, I’ve been lamenting that authentic has lost its power. It’s become watered down and almost meaningless. So it’s ironic that Webster chose it as their word of the year (although you’d be hard-pressed to call the dictionary progressive). 

But despite my issues with the word, it’s still the best descriptor for what we all need and should be bringing into our professional personas. Earlier this year I wrote an article about how AI should stand for Authentic Interaction, since that’s what we really need. Nobody needs more artificiality in their lives. We have the Real Housewives franchise for that. 

The more technology oozes into every facet and aspect of our lives, the more we need to be our true authentic selves. And this has never been more important than in the workplace. Employee engagement is at an all time low. Connection with colleagues and work friends is #1 on almost every survey in terms of impact on employee wellbeing and productivity. But it’s hard to foster connection if you aren’t being authentic or worse, don’t feel that you can be. If you aren’t in a workplace culture that encourages you to be who you are and showcase that to your teams and colleagues, how can you do your best work? 

It’s a fact that when people can be themselves at work, they feel better, perform better and are happier. When you increase and encourage individuality you get a more diverse set of voices and more depth of experience and expertise. Plus, happier people don’t quit (or quiet quit) their jobs, they brag about them and recruit their network.

So while authentic might be the word of 2023, it’s really the most important word for any organization that wants to foster confidence, connection and collaboration. As Carl Jung so eloquently put it, “the privilege of a lifetime is to become who you truly are.” Sounds pretty authentic to me.