Personality – are we all just putting on an act?
03/09/2009, Author: Trevor Fuggle
One of my main hobbies is amateur dramatics, and scarily enough we are now starting to rehearse for this year’s pantomime- the Wizard of Oz! Over the years of being on stage I have made some interesting observations about my fellow thespians and the way in which their personalities can differ both on and off stage. Surprisingly, those that are most lively and outgoing when in the spotlight are often the most shy and quiet in everyday life. It is a trait which I have also observed in myself; I am drawn to hobbies such as the acting and also football announcing in which I have to perform in front of 100s of people, yet put me in a social situation with only a few others and I can often come across as reserved.
With people adopting different personas in different situations, I can’t help but wonder - which is their true self?
The same could be asked about candidates at a job interview. Under the pressure of face to face scrutiny many candidates may fail to let their real personalities shine. Or there is a chance that they may be hiding behind a polished performance, which they have rehearsed many times in front of the bathroom mirror. Is it any wonder then that more and more organisations are turning to aptitude and personality assessments to help increase the predictive validity of their recruitment process?
But is it right to think that we are not being ‘real’ when we demonstrate a more guarded or extrovert persona? Are all these parts we play just different angles and elements to the larger whole that makes us who we are?
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Comments
During my working life I too have often come across the situation Trevor describes and have also experienced this myself. We often find that people who have a tendancy to feel and be quiet and shy in many everyday situations can demonstrate the opposite behaviour when given a specific role to perform. The pantomime and football announcing are two very specific roles and an example of this.
What we often find is that when the expectations and parameters of the role are clearly defined we feel more confident and able to display extrovert behaviours. However, when the expectations are ambiguous (this is often the case in day-to-day life and many social situations) we find that the more shy and quiet behaviour comes through.
This idea has applications for leading and managing people who are quiet and shy. If you, as the leader, clearly define the role and it's parameters they are more likely to be able to display extrovert behaviours.
When it comes to finding ways to demonstrate extrovert behaviours in social situations, as someone who feels quiet and shy, then one way to approach this is to define the expectations and parameters for yourself through personal reflection or even discussion with a trusted friend. This is likely to boost your confidence and allow your to draw some of your thespian persona into the social scenario. It's worked for me!
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