When “You Doing You” is Helping or Hindering Your Career

Many of us have heard the phrase “you do you!” Often, it is when we are doing something unusual or out of the ordinary; or when we are behaving in a way that is authentically “us” but not necessarily in line with behavioral norms in the situation at hand. The term is sometimes said to be supportive. Sometimes it is said in a manner that indicates “ok, I wouldn’t do that, but if that’s your choice, go for it.” In any case, “you do you” has come to be a cry of being your authentic self.

And therein lies the conundrum… it is not always wise or appropriate to “do you.” To be clear, I’m not talking about the deeper issues of assimilation or social integration connected to inclusion or bias. That is a discussion for another day. I’m speaking about basic appropriateness. Decorum. Situational awareness. Note: for those who are experts in situational awareness or situation awareness (SA), I’m using this term loosely as it relates to understanding, assessing and responding to an environment or situation. Tune in on the topic.