One of the most common leadership buzzwords amongst both executives and academics is “authenticity.” Meta COO Sheryl Sandberg emphasized that “leaders should strive for authenticity over perfection,” while Howard Schultz, former CEO of Starbucks, noted, “the companies that are lasting are those that are authentic.” Indeed, research studies have similarly affirmed the importance of authenticity as a key driver of overall work outcomes for everyone from frontline workers to leaders. Alternatively, being perceived as inauthentic has been shown to destroy trust and relationships, damage customer loyalty, worsen performance evaluations, and decrease organizational profits.
Communicating Authentically in a Virtual World
The medium can be as important as the message.
January 20, 2022
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Summary.
Authenticity is important at work, but sometime’s it’s challenging to identify and maintain. Plus, what if the authentic emotions you’re feeling conflict with the message you’re trying to convey to colleagues or employees? When is it useful to lean into authenticity, and when is inauthenticity actually a better strategy? Research on how people perceive authenticity during in-person, email, and phone conversations sheds some light on how to navigate this issue, particularly amidst hybrid work. The short answer: if your communication is authentic, try to speak with someone in-person. If you need to suppress emotions, consider using the phone or another audio method. And if you need to use email, make sure it’s clear to the recipient that you chose that method because others weren’t available.