Dealing with Employee Identity Crisis – Part II

Earlier we had read how various factors can trigger employee identity crisis and have adverse effects on the employee and the organization. Read and explore how as an HR professional one can deal with it using the best approaches. As organizations chase after innovating and reinventing themselves, it becomes critically important that a workplace environment is created where employees can express their real self. Here’s what we know, employee identity crisis usually ends up with unfulfilled and poor work performance from the employees’ end. While the organization finds it even difficult to create and adopt healthier work standards. Eventually employees start feeling discontent due to lack of fulfillment and purpose in what they do which ultimately impacts the very foundation. In order to make sure that the organization create healthier work standards with high levels of productivity, one must be aware of the below mentioned workplace dynamics that can fuel employee identity crisis. The Boss Factor Today, it is common to learn that supervisors don’t know their employees well enough to give them the best guidance or to make the best possible use of their key skills and talents. They fail to understand what comes naturally to the employee and what can be done to tap their primary areas for better growth and contribution. By failing to unleash someone’s passionate pursuits of excellence, an organization is missing a great opportunity to boost innovation. It’s become even easier to fall into employee identity crisis troubles when the supervisors repeatedly misrepresent, misunderstand and undermine one’s capabilities to better than basic roles. Disruptive Feedback Sometimes that feedback we receive from our managers/colleagues can cut off chances to improve one’s performance. Moreover, it can be even more disruptive, making one feel like a giant misfit in the organization, as opposed to inspiring to be a better employee and a team player. This is especially true with high potential employees who are looking for ways to get discovered and want to grow in an environment that gives them a certain degree of freedom. When such employees are made to stick around colleagues who provide inauthentic feedbacks, they become tired of the so called rat-race, leaving their loyalty towards the organization vulnerable. Strong Leadership Identity Every leader should be well aware of his/her sphere of influence and the role they play in attaining the goals and objectives of the organization. The three factors that define performance levels in an organization –growth, innovation and opportunity are greatly affected by how they align and support the organization and its employees. An organization’s leadership identity should always be in sync with the organization. Business Necessity & Urgency of Now Employees often face identity crisis when they get lost within the critical state of business necessity. This becomes quite dangerous in times of crisis and organization change, when the urgency of now becomes even more crushing. Urgency can deflect ones focus, consistency and fluidity essential to create a sustainable impact. A more strategic focus through identity can shape the growth of the business. Employee identity can make or break an organization. When ones identity supports the mission, goals and values of an organization, ones job becomes even more fun leading to innovation. Cultural Integrity Lack of cultural integrity occurs when the workplace culture is prewritten making it even more artificial and inauthentic making a rather difficult employee work experience. Moreover, it is fueled by factors such as lack of appreciation for diversity along with lack of cultural inclusion as a competitive advantage. In an organization, where there is a lack of cultural integrity also means lack of importance of personal identity and how it can support the organization. A workplace that rewards individual differences and forces employees to assimilate stands out.