On bringing your “whole self” to work
By Denise Lee Yohn
Mike Robbins, author of Bring Your Whole Self to Work, says we should be able “to fully show up” and “allow ourselves to be truly seen” in the workplace. What does that mean for Christians?
That doesn’t mean we have to go around loudly announcing that we’re people of faith. Nor do we need to obsess over evangelizing to our managers and peers. But bringing our faith to work does mean being honest and authentic about our beliefs and making our identity as Christians clear when opportunities arise.
Bringing our faith to work allows us to develop trust with our colleagues. When we withhold key information about ourselves, we put up a barrier. I’ve found that people would rather know the truth about who I am than only engage with me on a surface level. And if I share about my Christian identity in the right way, they appreciate my transparency.
If you hold a leadership position, being straightforward about your Christian faith makes you a more effective leader. In a recent piece for the Harvard Business Review, leadership expert Adam Bryant explains that people want to know who their leaders are and what they care about: “You want to be predictable in the best sense of the word: someone whose values are unwavering and clear." As Christians, we value servanthood, humility, integrity, and love. If these values inform our leadership—and they should, right?!—then we should feel comfortable sharing about the “why” behind them.
Bringing your faith to work is also a great blessing to other Christians in your workplace. Christ-followers need to know they’re not the only ones at their company. When you open up about your faith, you may be pleasantly surprised to discover colleagues who are Christians too. And when you discover you have a common faith, you can agree to pray for and support each other.
Bringing our faith to work requires wisdom and discretion. We need to pick the right times and situations in which to share, creating a fragrant aroma (2 Corinthians 2:15–16). When we identify as Christians with humility, gentleness, and openness, people may actually want to know more about us and our faith. Remember, we are to be salt (Matthew 5:13), not vinegar.
Even so, bringing our whole selves to work may not always be well-received. Employers have a responsibility to create a psychologically safe environment for employees, but many don’t. So, being transparent requires taking some risks.
We can’t keep our faith hidden if we want to work with integrity and develop authentic relationships with our co-workers. As Christians, we have a greater source of security in our Heavenly Father who cares for us (1 Peter 5:6–7) and is with us in times of trial (Isaiah 43:2)—and we can draw upon the power (2 Timothy 1:7) and comfort (2 Corinthians 1:3) of the Holy Spirit.