Masks At Work
Halloween isn't the only time people wear masks. Year
round, people wear "psychological" masks at work -
adopting different personas to fit their particular "part" in the
workplace.
Geraldine Brooks, a Vancouver-based Jungian psychologist,
says, "People usually wear a mask corresponding to their
work role. That's because all work roles come with certain
social expectations".
For example, senior managers may wish to appear calm,
authoritative or in control. Customer-service personnel may
want to seem friendly, personable and approachable.
Carl Jung, originator of the theory behind psychological
masks, concluded people put on a particular "face" to relate
to the world and that people might wear many different
personas in a lifetime. Individuals wear work personas (a
responsible employee), social personas (a loyal friend) and
family personas (a loving father or spouse).
Your role at work will govern the type of mask you wear. But
does this mean we all act out roles that have little to do with
who we really are?
Dr. Brooks says we all need masks to function in the world
and deal with the demands placed on us by others. "If we
didn't have masks, we wouldn't know how to act", she said in
an interview.
Masks can be helpful at work, especially if an individual is
going through a personal difficulty. Being able to maintain a
sense of purpose and accomplishment at work by playing
one's part, even when grieving a loss, for example, can give
an employee temporary relief from tumultuous feelings.
Workers who are asked to perform what psychologists call
"emotional labour"-- acting friendly and happy, for instance --
find that wearing a "friendly, happy mask" may be helpful or
difficult depending on the circumstances. For instance, a
fast-food drive-through clerk may find the "friendly" mask
daunting when up against a disgruntled customer. Yet
seeming pleasant with the next customer helps that
employee stay in a good mood for the rest of the shift,
despite the earlier incident.
Masks also protect the worker's personal boundaries and
privacy, disguising problems that could interfere with the task
at hand.
Masks are not unhealthy or false but can become a problem
if the individual identifies too strongly with them: if a
professor turns family mealtime into a student lecture, he or
she may alienate others with the "knowledgeable professor
mask".
When someone doesn't allow other aspects of him self to be
known or dons a mask to pretend to be someone he isn't,
that's unhealthy. If a manager believes she must always
remain authoritative and in control she can come under great
stress by suppressing any confusion or doubt she might feel.
Over time, the adoption of a "false self" can take its toll,
isolating the wearer from support and understanding. If the
difference between your true experience and the mask you
wear is too great, (you frequently feel impatient with small
children and you are an elementary school teacher, and the
mask you're supposed to wear is of a caring, warm
educator) you may feel irritability, anxiety, depression and
fatigue. It's tiring to pretend to be someone that you're not.
There are four common problematic masks identified by Dr.
Brooks that people tend to wear at work:
1. Ms. Laid Back
The wearer of this mask wishes to appear as if nothing
bothers her. When others may be concerned about a
project's quality, Ms. Laid Back minimizes the worry. Her
goal is to appear relaxed. Since no one ever fits this bill all
of the time, the mask detracts from high performance. It is
sometimes appropriate to attend to details that make a
difference. When a person who wears this mask is on a
team, she might sweep issues under the rug. At the same
time, this type of colleague is useful in helping others avoid
sweating the small stuff.
2. Mr. Competent
People wearing this mask believe they mustn't make
mistakes and should always appear knowledgeable. This
can come across as a know-it-all demeanor or inability to
share vulnerabilities. When wearing this mask, Mr.
Competent can be a perfectionist and become defensive
when his work is reviewed. At the same, he invests a lot of
time and energy into building his knowledge base. He can
be very informative and an excellent resource as a result.
Finding ways to tap his knowledge base without being made
to feel foolish can sometimes be difficult.
3. Mr. Smiley
This type of worker is often extremely friendly, rarely gets
angry and even believes he must never show irritation. Mr.
Smiley is an enjoyable work mate but has trouble giving
difficult messages, preferring to be liked by colleagues. On
a team, he tries to help everyone but needs to be
encouraged to speak his mind when upset.
4. Ms. Conformity
This employee wants to belong and blend in. She wants to
avoid standing out. In the extreme, she functions as the
team's "yes woman". She robs the organization of its
ingenuity and needs to feel secure before fully participating.
At the same time, this type wants to belong, which can help
a team when people need to display a unified front.
The masks we wear are helpful adjuncts to our personalities,
helping us act appropriately in our work and social situations.
The trick is to be careful to wear a mask that is not radically
different or at odds with the real you. Success depends on
being authentic and in touch with your values and goals,
ensuring that the mask you wear fits your personality.
Dr. Jennifer Newman and Dr. Darryl Grigg are registered
psychologists and directors of Newman & Grigg Psychological and
Consulting Services Ltd., a Vancouver-based corporate training and
development partnership. They can be contacted at sunmail@newmangrigg.com
Identifying information in cases cited has been changed to
protect confidentiality.