Be Your Authentic Self

The best quality folks I know, indeed the best of any profession I know, are those who manage to bring their authentic self to the job. This capability is core to building psychological safety and driving quality culture. And yet, too often, we teach people how to bury it or reward a degree of inauthenticity in service of some idea of “professional.” People quickly tune out, disengage, and lose trust when they sense insincerity. Being authentic allows you to connect and relate much more quickly with and bond with our fellow workers. To be an authentic quality champion, you must create a safe space to encourage people to open up and express themselves without fearing retribution. If people do not feel comfortable or safe conveying their feelings, they won’t be able to present their true, authentic selves. Trust is the key to encouraging others to express their thoughts and feelings. Without trust and authenticity, there can be no learning culture, no improvement, and little to no quality.

Be Yourself

Authenticity starts with being true to who you are. Don’t try to adopt a stereotypical quality personality or style that doesn’t feel natural to you. Instead:

• Embrace your unique personality and style, whether that’s reserved, energetic, or straightforward
• Be honest about your knowledge and expertise
• Admit when you don’t know something rather than pretending

By bringing your true self to the role, you build trust and create a psychologically safe environment.

Foster Genuine Connections

By building authentic relationships with colleagues, we can enhance collaboration, boost job satisfaction, and contribute to a more fulfilling professional experience. These connections go beyond superficial interactions and involve showing a genuine interest in coworkers’ success, engaging in healthy competition, and contributing to an authentic workplace culture.

• Strive to find time for relationship-building with and among your fellows
• Share personal anecdotes and experiences when relevant
• Demonstrate vulnerability by discussing your own learning journey and challenges you’ve overcome

Practice Active Listening

Active listening contributes to authenticity by encouraging open communication and transparency. When we actively listen to one another, we create a safe space for sharing ideas, concerns, and feedback without fear of judgment. This openness allows individuals to be true to their personalities and values, fostering a culture where authenticity is valued and respected. Moreover, active listening helps in recognizing the unsaid emotions and underlying messages, enabling a deeper understanding of colleagues’ experiences and perspectives.

• Give your full attention to speakers, noting both verbal and non-verbal cues
• Paraphrase and summarize to ensure you’ve understood correctly
• Ask probing questions to dig deeper into folk’s thoughts and ideas

Model the Desired Culture

When a quality partner brings their authentic self to the team, they set the tone. This demonstrates the behaviors and attitudes we want to see in our culture. This is important at all levels of the quality organization, but frankly I think quality leaders may be a little to uncomfortable here. Many people get ahead in quality by being analytical, which means thse who are outside that norm are asked to act like they are to get ahead. Which frankly, can be prety disastrrious.