Being “Authentic” has its place.

Being “Authentic” has its place.

You might have strong feelings about ‘being forced to stay indoors’, the Nanny States, Big Government.
Or about Brexit, immigrants, politics.
Or about the virus, and who is right.

Or maybe about celebrities, and reality tv.
Or about your company and how they are/aren’t doing things ‘properly’ to address the challenges of working from home.

There may be many topics that you can be passionate about, and that you could get on your soapbox about.

But you do not do it when you’re on a consulting engagement with a client.
When you’re at work, you stay professional.
That means concentrating on the job and focusing on solving the problem in front of you.

I had a client in USA who was a very nice guy – playful and easy going, and very very good at what he did.
He was very easy to work with.
Someone I would welcome into my social circle.

Until one day, someone from his team on a conference call made a joke about Trump – and I found out that he was not only an ardent supporter, but he also held a lot of very strong beliefs about many things that I fundamentally disagreed with.

Regardless of the fact that I now saw him in a different light, our working relationship remained highly engaged and very strong – especially as I had kept my opinions to myself.

The lessons here:
1. Don’t gossip.
2. Stay professional.
3. Be cautious about engaging in controversial topics.

The only time I break the rule is when I engage in Star Wars vs Star Trek discussions… !
I will boldly go where no nerd has gone before…!

#dontgossip
#TrekkieTillIDie
#beprofessional
#zenhaoprotip

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