Professional development can be talked about in terms of concrete accomplishments, like acquiring new duties, promotions, improved skills. But there is something else, something much more profound, that drives the trajectory of a career. That something else, the key driver, is personal identity. This refers to the set of values, the series of experiences, the means of personal expression, that shape the manner in which someone will operate in any given work environment. And it’s the one thing that, while strategy might be the goal, people fundamentally develop based upon.
In the work setting, the sense of identity can be seen before the words are even communicated effectively. A presence, which includes the way someone moves, enters the room, or transmits thoughts, provides the key factor in building trust and recognition. This involves the way someone can project themselves before others without having to be loud. This involves an authenticity that requires no physical presence but allows people to connect in some way. An individual understanding who he or she is, as well as what he or she values, offers a change in communication approach. Identity provides the tool needed in the form of support in terms of effective decision-making.
One of the most interesting aspects of this topic, in my opinion, has to do with the concept of expression. People express themselves, and this occurs in the way that they communicate confidence, the way in which they deal with expectations, as well as the manner in which they choose to express themselves in terms of visual representation. It is here where the concept of ‘style in the workplace’ becomes something more than just a visual concept. This has to do with the long-standing tradition of individuals in the workplace leveraging appearance in terms of establishing credibility, ambition, or resilience. Much of the most interesting examples of this can be seen in times when members of the workforce were forced to develop an area of influence for themselves in a predominantly masculine space, leveraging personal expression as a means of empowering themselves.
This can create a positive synergy when personal identity intersects with career drives, as something powerful emerges from the intersection of these drives, something which can be defined as ease in decision-making. No longer do individuals feel the urge to chase every available opportunity but rather the ones heaping upon him the fulfillment of his personal identity. Communication becomes stronger, not necessarily based upon all the right answers but in the choices made, which feel defined by something authentic.
Identity has implications related to the way people form connections in the work environment as well. Teams function well when there is clarity, and coworkers feel secure when there appears to be consistency in the people they work around. Putting the same values first when there is consistency between personality, communication, and behavior promotes natural attraction to the individual. This cohesion has more power than the carefully constructed charm of people in the business world when managers, as well as clients, respond positively to it, in the way that can lead to someone being tapped for positions that demand consistency.
Secondly, there has to be consideration of the cultural aspect as well. Each individual brings their history in the way they approach the job. This also tends to influence creativity, problem-solving, and teamwork in the long run. If workers feel the importance of embracing, rather than denying, the culture, they tend to open up untapped routes to contribute. This becomes the greatest strength for the individual when the work environment becomes welcoming to varied facets of identities. In the natural course, embracing one’s own identity may, in some instances, be a challenge. This is because, in most work settings, there are certain unwritten sets of conduct, communication styles, and even personal presentations that are allowed while others are not.
But history has proven that when people choose to live in sync with their identities, they not only develop, but they also end up inspiring others. This, in turn, gives other people the liberty to also be themselves. Your career development isn’t linear. In reality, it’s a process of choice, change, and personal epiphanies. Through every level of this process, personal identity becomes the driving factor. While skill qualifies an individual for potential, personal identity allows for the conversion of potential into something tangible. The greatest career strategy that no one teaches might be the process of understanding your personal identity, letting it guide your career, and following through.
