# Who We Are, Not What We Do By:: [[Lori Zieg]] 2023-06-12 A wise friend facing a health crisis told me, “I have to remind myself that I’m who I am, not what I do.” She said this about losing the ability to pursue many of her defining hobbies. However, it was a statement so profound and introspective that I still ponder it years later. We’re who we are, not what we do. This is contradictory to much of what employers expect of employees. Yes, we bring with us to the workplace our principles, work ethic, and past experiences that have molded us into the people we are. Beyond that, though, the workplace generally expects us to mold ourselves into commodified employees responsible for specific tasks. As we conform to our employer’s expectations, it can be easy to lose a sense of self. Our professional life can become detached from our personal ethos. Employers who recognize this potential disconnect should harness this realization to recognize employees as individuals in a way that can lead to improved employee retention rates. The big question is how this can be accomplished in an authentic way. #### Related Items [[Purpose]] [[Work]] [[Business]] [[Reflection]] [[Identity]] [[Self-Actualization]]