Be willing to adapt.

I read with interest an article in this month’s Harvard Business Review (Research: It Pays to Be Yourself, Francesca Gina).

This article describes research suggesting that catering to others is less effective than just being yourself in situations such as job interviews. Well…. obviously! If you operate right outside your authentic self trying to impress, it will be difficult, draining and likely ring false for the people you’re dealing with.

In the study, participants were instructed either to cater to the interviewer’s interests and expectations, or to be as authentic as possible. Those that were authentic were more successful.

My concern would be that people interpret this to mean that for best results you should therefore not cater to what you think others want, but should rather “just be yourself”.

I think that might be a little too simple. If you insist on being yourself in a way which absolutely does not meet the requirements of the situation, you will not succeed.

It would be better to find aspects of your authentic self that also meet the requirements of the situation at hand. We do this all the time – naturally presenting different aspects of ourselves when we are out at a wild party versus cradling a tired newborn baby, for example (hopefully!).

The practical takeaway? In an interview, don’t turn yourself into a “human pretzel” (as Brené Brown calls it), losing yourself in a quest to be what others want. But equally, to give yourself the best chance, be willing to adapt to the situation at hand.

Madeleine Shaw

I work with clients from executive leadership teams to the front line, helping them to make clearer decisions about what they want, and adapt faster and more easily to change and transition. I use deep purpose as a key to unlock powerful thriving in work and life.

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