How fake are you at work?

Your work mask - the persona you present to the world so that you can be accepted.

Examples:

• You nod enthusiastically at dumb ideas, just to avoid conflict.

• You fake excitement about company events you dread, to fit in with the team.

• You hide your frustration with repetitive tasks, acting cheerful.

• You pretend to care about work slogans, that are meaningless.. empty.

I’m not knocking you. You need to earn a living.

So, can you be 100% authentic at work and get ahead. Not really. That sounds awful but I believe it’s true.

You do need a metaphorical mask. Being completely authentic—saying exactly what you think, showing every frustration, or revealing all your insecurities – will leave you looking weak and indecisive (or worse - unstable).

Workplaces reward people who manage perceptions well.

It’s less about being fake and more about strategic authenticity. You can stay true to your core values but still adapt your communication style and emotional expressions to fit the environment.

The people who get ahead are usually those who know when to be real and when to play the game.

If you can do this, then you’ll go far in the corporate world. If you can’t, you need to start your own business or somehow work independently.

Personally, I can wear a work mask, BUT only for short periods of time.. say a few months, after that it becomes very difficult pretending all the time.

Twenty years ago, I realized I couldn’t work in the corporate world full time, so I started my own database training company. I’ve worked for myself ever since on different projects. I’ve always earnt more money and had more freedom.

The personality trait – being disagreeable – I have a lot of.  I don’t mind arguing with people - but this will get you wrecked in the corporate world, where passive aggression is the norm – not outright conflict.

Do some online personality trait tests. Intuitively you should already know this but do some online tests and find out how and where you could thrive.

https://www.16personalities.com/free-personality-test

https://www.truity.com/test/big-five-personality-test

https://bigfive-test.com/

Are you jaded and exhausted by your job?

Constantly pretending to be someone you're not - drains you mentally and emotionally.

The effort of maintaining a work persona that doesn’t feel natural – kills your energy.

If you must stay in this environment, here are some tips.

Selective Masking – Don’t fake everything; just adapt where necessary. Keep your core values and personality intact while tweaking how you communicate or react in certain situations.

Play the Game, Set Limits – Engage in office politics only as much as needed to avoid being sidelined, but don’t let it consume you. Choose battles wisely and avoid unnecessary drama.

Find Your Safe Zone – Identify coworkers you can be real with and create a small circle where you don’t have to pretend. Even one or two genuine connections will help.

Work Toward an Exit Plan – If the fakeness is unbearable, build skills, network, or save money - to transition to a better environment.

Cheers Shano