The way professionalism has been defined and how many, if not most, corporate and governmental cultures and systems we operate within were designed are grounded in racism, homophobia, ableism, and other isms. They were imagined by people with a specific view of the world and created for them, and those who look like and move through the world like them, believing what they believe and valuing what they value.
The argument that embracing an uncovering movement or using words championed in recent years – to show up authentically – will give people license to bring hatred and bigotry into the space are scare tactics. They are used to permit inaction and are often grounded in fear of the unknown and fear of change. When in reality, those mindsets people are worried about are often what shaped the written and unwritten rules and norms of spaces as they exist today.
They are already there and already inflicting harm. Covering - downplaying, hiding, or filtering parts of ourselves and our identities - was for all of the people who fell outside what was imagined; the Black and people of color, the LGBTQ+ community, the disabled, the elderly, the women, those who grew up in poverty, speak English as a second language, and more. The way it manifests has evolved over time, yet, the negative impact is felt nonetheless.
It's important to name that championing uncovering in the workplace does not mean allowing people to be insensitive or hurtful to others. Nor is it about treating your colleagues like your therapist and sharing every detail of your personal life. It is about changing cultural norms that perpetuate bias and inequity to actively create an environment where people don't have to hide the parts of themselves that could help bring solutions into the world, improve their health, and strengthen their connection to the work they do every day.
There may be discomfort as the culture shifts and colleagues meet new parts of their co-workers – something which is unavoidable. Right now, comfort is given to the designers of corporate cultures and governing systems while inflicting ongoing harm on those who feel they must cover to survive. The ramifications of covering are clear. I’ve spoken with corporate leaders and politicians, nonprofit executives, and employees on the frontlines, and covering made people feel isolated, stressed, burned out, depressed, and anxious. One leader talked about how covering stifles imagination.
There is a reason 97% of Black knowledge workers want to keep remote or hybrid work options as we look at the future of work in 2023 and beyond. In part because they feel they cover or code-switch less when not working in the office five days a week.
And from a cost perspective, it is estimated that employee burnout generates a 34% loss in annual salary for a company. joshasdfafasdfasdfas
I equate generating this type of culture shift and embracing uncovering to hiking up a mountain in Colorado. When I first moved here, I had to acclimate to the altitude, build up endurance before tackling higher peaks, and do research about equipment and trails. It was challenging and uncomfortable, and there was fear in what I couldn’t predict or didn’t know - storms, hydration, altitude sickness, what equipment to bring, and getting lost. But it was working through the discomfort and building up those muscles that let me summit 14ers to experience the world from that vantage point. It is awe-inspiring and beautiful from that height.
Similarly, having this new lens through which to see our colleagues can enhance our work. We won’t agree on everything, but we can develop a new understanding of who people are and where they come from.
Want to bring people back into the office more while increasing productivity and their sense of belonging? Want to decrease the prevalence of burnout? Consider how supporting an uncovering movement focused on effective communication, openness to experiences, and management across domains of life can play a role– recognizing that change and new ways of working will impact individuals, teams, and the company at large.
So, the next time you argue against uncovering or being your authentic self because a few people may bring hatred and bigotry into the space, please think again. Remember that you’re advocating for the status quo and inaction. Those mindsets shaped the places we are in now, and protect a specific set of people (often White, straight, abled people) while alienating the rest, reinforcing power dynamics that cause harm while undermining the potential of the workforce to innovate and hurting the company’s ROI in the process.
Further reading - exploring the question of meeting people where they are, uncovering in the workplace, and questioning who should carry the burden of discomfort.
When it comes to the question of who carries the burden, should it fall on the shoulders of the person sacrificing their Blackness (like in Sovereign’s example from my Uncovering Your Value newsletter) or covering their queerness to be accepted by the “dominant culture” or should the burden fall on the dominant culture who may need to feel “uncomfortable” (unfamiliar, uncertain) as they expand their understanding through education and challenging old assumptions?
How this manifests for me: I present as a very androgynous (skewing feminine) queer man and 98% of strangers I meet think I am a woman. People question me everywhere I go - restrooms, airports, restaurants. They physically stand in my way, saying things like, “I don’t know what the f*ck you are,” passing judgment, and making assumptions because of my appearance.
“Meeting people where they are” for me is showing up as my uncovered queer self while doing my best to recognize that people make quick decisions based on outdated mental models, not out of hate. It means continuously educating people - even if I didn’t come into those spaces to be an educator but just to be, and knowing the discomfort generated now paves the way for future generations to step into these spaces (ideally) without having to cover.