Authenticity and Service

by Adam Pugh

In recent memory, the idea of authenticity has continued to be conflated with “speaking your mind.” If we always communicate every thought and feeling that runs across the surface of our mind, we risk alienating our audience. We must not use authenticity as an excuse to share every one of our innermost thoughts. Instead, we need to put effort into crafting a consistent message that we can use to serve others as we seek to create better outcomes in all that we do.

In The Practice: Shipping Creative Work, Seth Godin explores the idea of authenticity vs. consistency in our work. I came to understand and summarize his point this way:

Your audience doesn’t want your authentic voice. It wants your consistent voice.

What is your consistent voice? I can tell you the one I strive for (or maybe you already know it?).

Be kind and do good work.

Please notice what this doesn’t say. It doesn’t say when you feel like it. Be kind and do good work even when you don’t feel like it. There are so many days and times that I just don’t feel like it, but I do it anyway. How about you?

If you’ve ever come to me with a question - then you should know that I am happy to help or point you to the proper expert – no matter what. You should expect that I will gladly help you out. Does that mean that every single time I get asked a question that I am being completely authentic? Yes – I am being my consistent work-self.

If I brought in my frustration with my dog Isabel for wetting her bed, and that I had to put it through the wash, and make sure she was clean, and that I now had pee-hands which I then washed too many times – requiring moisturizer… and I incorporated that into the response I give you about the location of the DAR form? I don’t think either of us would be happy with the outcome of that interaction.

Bring your consistent authentic self to work – this is the job of the professional – the leader – the heroine. Being ‘authentic’ and making it obvious to others you would rather be doing something else would break teams and cause chaos.

If we truly used the word authentic properly – we might be OK. Some words that describe authenticity: Dependable, reliable, and trustworthy. This sounds more like what we really should mean. I love dependable, reliable, and trustworthy people – don’t you? But we have to have the consistency paired with it to make it truly effective and long-term.

Have you ever asked someone what kind of music they liked and heard something along the lines of: “I like everything…except country (or some other genre)”? I know I have. I listen to music new and old and widely across genres. I read the same way. But we typically have a set of albums or books we like to default to. Our ‘home base’ if you will. I will always return to Steely Dan, Led Zeppelin, and Tom Petty. That does not even begin to reveal the extent of the many musical adventures I have taken, but it gives you a basic idea of where to start if you were trying to describe my musical tastes to someone else.

I like Iron Maiden and Joni Mitchell. Radiohead and Rage Against the Machine. Adele and Opeth. But I am under no illusions about which of these artists are palatable for the widest audience. I am not here to spread my passion for the technical guitar genius of Muhammed Suiçmez. I am here to make my helpful-self available to you and our customers. There will never be a Death Metal Friday at JHA. I can’t even write a joke about wearing one of their shirts because the typical name is already somewhat offensive.

So we look for consistency. What is our default posture at work? What can others expect when they interact with you? Is it someone responsive and helpful, or do you make excuses and drag out decisions? Be honest – everyone else already knows. No one sets out to be the latter – but it can happen slowly over time. My more death metal side can creep in every so often and I have to stop and remind myself to be consistent for the benefit of others.

I came up with a few ideas to remind myself about the daily purpose of our work:

To make kindness our biggest strength
Helpfulness our default position
Learning, a constant companion

Godin loves to ask the question ‘What’s it for?’ You can ask this about anything you create whether it is an article, video, or for a side business. Many of the things I create are for the purpose of triggering a happy memory, or a joyful response.

Is it to: Make more money? Or: Achieve financial freedom?

Is it to: create the same annual document because it is required? Or: Provide peace of mind for a customer?

Find a way to bring your consistent self to work each day. When we do this – we will finally be on our way to realizing what true authenticity is in this life.

“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” ― Mahatma Gandhi

Originally published in the MARCH 31, 2021 - ISSUE 17 of the ECS News