“It used to be fashionable to talk about a workplace as a family, which wasn’t helpful, because then people expected it to be like their family, which might be a good thing or a bad thing. The current fashion in workplace narratives is that we are building workplaces where people can show up authentically as their real selves and there is psychological safety.
Really?
It sounds great. It’s a good goal to have. And for some organizations that is a valid aspiration; I’m thinking of social service organizations or some non-profits where people from marginalized communities want to build a culture that is more equitable or just or accepting than the culture at large.
But if you work for a corporation, the chances are that people won’t be able to show up authentically unless they are part of the dominant group – which is most likely cis, straight, white men. There can’t be real psychological safety when your employment can be terminated at will – the waves of layoffs attest to that.
