Question by Laura, Data Scientist
asked on 2019-08-08

How do you bring your full self to work at a remote company? This headline is intriguing!

Answer

I think people often think of developers as some nerd in a basement who's drinking too much RedBull, but you can be anybody. You just need to be able to express yourself.

And the ways in which you express yourself in a remote context are to communicate often and a lot. At Manifold, we use slack and have work-specific channels as wells fun channels. There's a channel about food that we've made because we have a coworker who really loves using a smoker and making amazing smoked meat.

Being engaged, over communicating, and being who you are is key.

-- Jessica, Manifold.

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I definitely agree with Jessica. I think the topic of bringing your full self to work, it's something that I know I've always struggled with.

What does it mean for me to be myself at work? How do I, subconsciously, try to conform with the rest of my coworkers? My coworkers are very different from me. There have been several times in my career where I've thought, "should I be wearing this? I don't have any "tech t-shirts."

I don't go to enough conferences to get tees and wear them every day... but knowing that if I wear a dress and flats, then I'm going to be the really intense outlier and being fully aware of that.


It's a question of courage. The best answer is find a place where you can be yourself fully, that makes you feel really supported and capable of being yourself. And if you're somewhere where that doesn't feel like the easiest option, then having the courage to find a balance that really works for you. For example, can you bring your diverse perspective and still be respected? That's the ongoing question that I think a lot of people have.It's really valuable to remember that your diversity brings value in and of itself.

-Chloe, Manifold