Being “Authentic” Authentically

Authenticity.

We can’t neatly wrap up this week’s topic with a tidy little bow, but we’re wading in anyway, with the end of February concluding Black History Month and Women’s History Month in March.

But that’s not all. There was recently Martin Luther King Jr. Day and the International Day of Women and Girls in Science.

And then there are Rare Disease Day and International Women’s Day coming up.

Phew.

Harvard Business Review put it succinctly back in 2013: “Be yourself, but carefully.” Being unabashedly honest in the workplace could backfire or at its worst, create an unsafe environment.

In a recent exchange on Adam Grant’s Rethinking podcast with D&I leader and author Denise Hamilton, he asked what word we may want to abandon from our vocabulary.

She said: Authentic.

It’s fair to say a lot of us would find that answer surprising.

Denise posits that, rather than being merely unfiltered, be effective, impactful.

When our T2B community last discussed corporate advocacy, a big takeaway emphasized that addressing sensitive subjects requires timely action and AUTHENTICITY.

This will continue to underscore all our monthly themes this year.

So, let’s take the time to ask ourselves: How do you determine what quote-unquote being authentic means to you… to your leadership, to your org or to your clients? How can we as an industry ensure not only what we say but what we do is value-driven and has tangible, positive impact?

Thanks for joining us in these considerations.