Do you adopt a different "PERSONA" at work?

Philippines
April 7, 2008 11:53am CST
I just wanted to know, is there a marked difference in your attitude when you are at work than when you are at home/or just hanging about with your friends? Or is your attitude the same? As for me, I am quite different at work - according to my co-workers, I'm organized, serious, quiet - I have a tendency to stare off into the distance than talk, you see I find some of my colleagues to be quite "silly",I've had this attitude even when I was at school -, efficient and dependable. I've always had this image of how I should be seen, I also don't talk much about myself (my hobbies, about books i've read etc, yes - but personal things, no way) that's why they say I'm sort of "mysterious", and I intend to keep it that way. But at home I can be childish and immature at times. I only show these attributes when I feel "safe" around the people I'm with - and those people are few. For example, when I go out to drink with my co-workers I just seat in the corner -eating/drinking-and talking occasionally, however, if I'm out drinking with my "real friends" I am loud and silly. Even my cousin mentioned that I'm different when we go out, than if we're just lounging about at home. how about you guys?
3 people like this
8 responses
@secretbear (19448)
• Philippines
13 Apr 08
hi hitomi! i also adopt a different personality at work. but its quite different with you. at work, i'm a little friendly. i always try to be nice with my officemates. i chat with them even about the silliest and shallowest things. its like "pakikisama". because at home, i'm usually distant. i don't talk much with the members of the family. i'm always in front of the computer or watching tv or just out shopping. the most "family thing" i do is play with my little nephew and niece which doesn't really require me to talk much about me and what had happened or talk about family things. but with officemates and my friends, i'm kind of the same. with my officemates/friends from the office and from my other friends from school, i am the same. loud, cheerful, and kinda "palengkera" and brutal. with brutal i mean careless. i can just say what i want. even while drinking. i actually get noisier when drunk. although most of the times i keep my cool because i tend to say the most embarrassing things. ^__^;;
@secretbear (19448)
• Philippines
27 Apr 08
i find a lot of my officemates silly too but all i can do is go with the flow and "makisama" to them. camaraderie is very important in our office. you have to be nice to all the people because you'll never know who will backbite you. just one bad word will created more than one bad story. that's how it is when you work mostly with women.
• Philippines
16 Apr 08
wow, we seem to be opposites, when it comes to work behaviour. I really don't have anything against my officemates, it's just that I find some of them "silly", and it's a precaution as well to the harmful effects of office politics (I'm usually good at the job, but I don't do well with relating to the people I'm working with). Although I made a few close friends over the years, from working with different companies. At home, I'm glued to the PC most of the time as well, but I can laze around and just be myself.
2 people like this
@dianne17k (587)
• Philippines
16 Apr 08
Yeah, I act differently across different social scenes. At work, I rarely socialize with my co-therapists and probably perceived as a snob. With my really close buddies, I act as their "little sister" who does all the bugging. To people I've just met, I come out as really reserved and quiet but I'm the exact opposite when I'm with my friends. At home, I let my mood swings run wild so I could be really quiet at one point and then really perky the next.
• Philippines
16 Apr 08
I know what you mean, if my co-workers will see my "home"/"relaxed" persona they'd be really surprised. I also have mood swings (my brother even told my mom that I am hard to deal with, I can go from brooding to suddenly happy at times).
1 person likes this
@chiyosan (30183)
• Philippines
28 Apr 08
i guess i am a bit different at work and at home. of course at work i am a supervisor and i appear to be a little strict but still approachable at times. i am also more hardworking at work but i tend to slug at home - this is my only time to have rest. :) at home i am not strict, i am a follower. haha completely a different person i guess cause i do all chores at home, wash dishes, cook, etc.. whereas at work i order people around to do stuffs, set deadlines and give pressure. :)
@nicolec (2671)
• United States
7 Apr 08
I'm the same. I'm outgoing, loud, silly and fun no matter where I am. And I don't see why I shouldn't be. Work should be fun too. Most of the people I work with are the same way. I hang out with them often and we all act the same. Now, the BIG boss. He's different at work then at home. I'm friends with him and his family and have been around him several times out side of work. At work he's quiet, pensive and a soft talker. Outside of work he laughs, dances, and just has fun. People at work don't believe me when I tell them how different he really is.
• Philippines
10 Apr 08
good for you! :D thanks for the comment. my boss is just the opposite, perky at work, but more reserved outside.
@kun2349 (23381)
• Singapore
8 Apr 08
I will say, i tend to be in a quiter side of me when i'm with my frenz.. But however when i'm at work, i will be more lively instead, because work is about fun and getting into trouble.. LOL ^_^ So when i'm out of work, hanging out with frenz, i will be more reserved.. Be back to my normal self..
• Philippines
10 Apr 08
wow! nice attitude towards work! (I wish I could be more like you, I'm actually bored at work...gaaagh!) thanks for the response!
@vera5d (4005)
• United States
7 Apr 08
i think i was always way more reserved at work...i wouldn't say i was different, probably just a lot quieter because you never know what they will use against them...they might act like real friends but 96% of the time they aren't.
• Philippines
7 Apr 08
That's right. I'm not really good at the so-called "office politics", so I avoid unecessary entanglements. And I despise "gossip" too. I hear you, most of them act friendly and all, but are ready to backstab you at a moments notice. ;X
@ratyz5 (7808)
• Philippines
10 Apr 08
I am quite the same in a sense. I am more at ease with people that I am close with than to those who I only go along in particular situations. I mean, even if I have been going to school with the same people for the past years or so, I still wouldn't be as lively and silly like how I am at home and a few friends. That's why my classmates would always take me seriously while my friends back at home would often laugh at my remarks even if I state the same thing. I can't say that I am adifferent person in particular in certain situations, I guess that's just how others percieve me when either I am at home or elsewhere.
• United States
16 Apr 08
No, I'm the way I am any where. I used to be a real wallflower anywhere I went, I've learned to relax and be myself. I don't worry about what people think or see.