Broadly thought of as your true sense of self, authenticity is simply the degree to which your actions align with your values and desires.
From a self-image perspective, it defines anything that feels true to you, from your favorite music to your pet peeves to how you like to spend your time. As humans, we like to know the people around us to some degree. It helps build trust and connection and is a key reason why authenticity matters in the workplace.
2 Types of Code Switching
- Strategic code switching happens when employees read the room and tailor their behaviors to the expectations of the workplace.
- Protective code switching happens when an employee code switches to downplay their identity and thus avoid being stereotyped.
But who determines what authenticity is? And where does code switching come into play?
In an ideal world, everyone can show up to work as they are without fear of penalty, discrimination or disrespect. But in truth, many individuals whose identities are not dominantly represented feel the impact of bias as a result of their difference. Will they be penalized if they fit a stereotype? Will people make fun of their accent or cultural foods they bring to lunch? Will coworkers be dismissive of their ambitions because they are a mom or parent? Individuals often use code switching to circumvent these attitudes.
When Does Code Switching Happen?
Code switching is any action of adjusting one’s behavior or appearance in order to optimize the comfort of others and secure fair treatment or service. Code switching happens across the spectrum and throughout the day, from the way individuals dress to the way they speak or even which hobbies they share with their colleagues. Employees might code switch differently in a senior leadership meeting than they might in the breakroom or at an offsite retreat.
Similarly, code-switching behaviors can be observed differently depending on the comfort cultivated by different teams and leaders. A double consciousness of identity and stereotypes causes many marginalized people to show up counter to those expectations so that they can be treated without bias — thus the action of code switching. However, code switching is also a strategy for success in the workplace and can be characterized in two major categories.
Strategic Code Switching
The first type of code switching is one that many of us practice. We read the room and are attentive to the expectations of our specific workplace. Using code switching as a strategy requires attention and awareness. Individuals have to practice emotional intelligence, self awareness and active listening to understand the environment they are in, to anticipate the attitudes of others and to show up in a way that is both disarming and genuine.
Applying these skills in the workplace can help individuals tap into the needs of their clients and managers while maintaining an environment of familiarity and trust. Anything from following the dress code of your workplace to being aware of the acceptable language and slang is part of code-switching behavior to maintain the professional expectations of any organization.
Protective Code Switching
Protective code switching results from a need to downplay parts of one’s identity to meet the expectations of the workplace. Research shows us that for racial minorities, avoiding stereotypes and downplaying membership in stigmatized racial groups increases their perception of professionalism and improves their ability to be seen as leaders.
With this understanding and the history of discrimination that exists in the workplace, many people of color engage in code-switching behavior. Thirty-five percent of Black workers said they code switch at work, according to a recent Indeed survey. Another study of Hispanic and Latino professionals revealed that 40 percent regularly code switch. This type of code switching can feel hurtful and exclusionary, but it, too, is a strategy some groups must use for success.
Despite the benefits of code switching, it can wear on individuals as they do the mental work required to identify, anticipate and deflect throughout the day.
Code switching isn’t about creating a whole new identity, just like authenticity is not about being 100 percent yourself 100 percent of the time. Both are about leaning on the parts of yourself that the current environment requires and reading the room in order to do so.
Despite the benefits of code switching, the practice can wear on individuals as they do the mental work required to identify, anticipate and deflect throughout the day. Additionally, it can cause others to view them as avoiding their identity if people who share their background choose not to code-switch in the same way.
How Inclusion Can Reduce Code Switching
So what is to be done? The best outcome is for organizations to start moving toward holistically inclusive cultures. Diversity creates the environment in which difference can exist and thrive. However, diversity without inclusion is tokenism and leaves individuals in the uncomfortable situation of reconciling who they are with the version of themselves that is welcome in the office.
To reduce the need for code switching, organizations must invest in a diverse workforce and make inclusive actions and behaviors a systemic expectation. By providing training on cross-cultural competence and ensuring equity in processes, leaders can build more inclusive work environments.
Code switching and authenticity are both strategies for success. They can only be maximized for good if we cultivate cultures of inclusion. Otherwise, they become tactics for survival, and that only divides and isolates team members and their company experience. Culture is a product of every individual in the workplace. It is vital that we create the space for individuals to be part of the culture we seek to build.
