I've been interviewing candidates for a marketing job here at Gensler. It's been interesting, and I've been meeting lots of really interesting people. I realized today that when I interview somebody I'm really looking to understand them, I'm really looking to get a sense of the whole person. It's not just about filling a spot ("You! Get in that box!"). It's about finding somebody that I can add to the team here and who we/I can grow with. It's like dating.
I think we're moving more and more to a world in which people can bring, and are expected to bring, their entire selves to what they do. It's not enough to punch a clock, and then to spend your evenings writing poetry or whatever. People want to be who they are, all the time, and to have their work lives support that. I find it really exciting, because it's great for everybody: the individual, the team, and the company. The individual feels more connected with themselves, and more comfortable in their own skin; the team builds a deeper, more human connection with each other; and the company gets more productive work out of a workforce that feels like they can truly be and express themselves.
Thinking about this reminds of something the Dalai Lama said in his speech at Rutger's on Sunday, something like, "The purpose of education is to help us reconcile the perceived world from the actual world." As a society, I think we're actually getting better at this, we're actually moving closer to being what we seem to be. In a world of constant surveillance, it's harder and harder to hide parts of yourself (or crimes you've committed) from others.
You just are who you are. It just is what it is. Even at work.
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