Thought piece
Embracing 'identity uncovering' in the workplace
Humans crave acceptance and a sense of belonging. We often tone down, mask or entirely hide vital aspects of our identities to better fit in. This ‘identity covering’ happens every day and in all corners of the world’s workplaces – and the first step to combatting it is to recognise its existence and understand how and why it happens. Only then, can workplaces find ways to foster a culture of uncovering – where employees feel safe and empowered to be their authentic selves.
Identity covering is not a new concept. The term was coined by sociologist Erving Goffman in 1963 yet it is still prevalent today, even in these relatively enlightened times. Covering will look different from person to person and may vary in degree, but it’s something we all participate in – whether refraining from expressing an opinion because we’re afraid it won’t be accepted or concealing a religious pendant under clothing to hide our faith and beliefs.
Kenji Yoshino, a legal scholar who elaborated on Goffman’s work, identified 4 ways you may ‘cover’ your identities to better fit in and avoid judgement:
-
Appearance-based covering: changing the way you look or self-present.
-
Affiliation-based covering: minimizing certain behaviours widely associated with an identity.
-
Advocacy-based covering: not defending or promoting the interests of your group.
-
Association-based covering: avoiding contact with others who share your identity.
The covering of your identity can mean, by extension, the covering of your talent, your originality of thought, your innovative ideas and your unique contribution. It affects not just the individuals covering but the organisations and communities the individuals belong to.
Everyone deserves a workplace where you don’t have to hide your authentic self in plain sight.
Everyone deserves a workplace where you don’t have to hide your authentic self in plain sight – where you feel free to share, connect, create and inspire. It’s what The Be Seen Project is all about: helping you feel safe and empowered to be yourself fully and express yourself freely.
We work with teams and organisations to transform workplaces into safe spaces. We do this by:
-
Helping to eradicate individual pressure to conform or hide by encouraging honest conversations about identity and acceptance.
-
Encouraging teams to explore, understand and embrace each member’s inimitable ways and contributions. The most effective and high-performing teams are those whose members feel valued and seen.
-
Uncovering any bias or microaggressions that show up at work. You may strive to be objective, thoughtful and open, but you’re likely guilty of having some degree of unconscious bias. We make sure these are addressed so that no assumptions are made about others that lead to unbalanced decision making.
If you’d like our help transforming your workplace into a safe space, where employees feel empowered to uncover their identities and full potential, please get in touch.