Marc Andreessen doesn’t want to see anyone’s ‘whole self’ at work: ‘Behave like a professional and an adult’

On By Littum

Silicon Valley veteran Marc Andreessen has some pretty brutal advice for employees who want to bring their “full selves” to work: Don’t.

The notion of bringing one’s “full” or “whole” self to the office states that employees must be able to be honest and vulnerable in a professional environment, offer differences of opinion and not be nervous about ramifications.

Everything from books to TED talks have focused on the idea, which became particularly prominent during the pandemic as staff struggled to balance their personal and professional lives while working from home.

But for billionaire investor Andreessen, it’s time to reintroduce more traditional boundaries between the office and home.

On X, one user wrote: “One of the worst pieces of advice I ever received was to ‘always bring yourself’, regardless of the context.”

Andreessen — reportedly worth nearly $2 billion per Forbes— reposted the comment, adding: “The one thing you should never, ever, ever do is put yourself out there.

“Keep yourself where it belongs and act like a professional and adult at work and in public.”

Suppression of behavior in the workplace

It comes because a number of workplaces have come down hard on employees who they feel are not acting professionally.

At Meta, for example, employees reportedly blurred the lines between work benefits and convenience in their daily lives.

Last month, the Mark Zuckerberg-founded company reportedly fired a handful of employees who had misused the company’s $25 meal stipend, spending the money on non-food items or having meals delivered to their homes.

Weeks later, EY reportedly dismissed a number of American employees after they were discovered to have attended two training sessions at the same time.

The employees of the Big Four company participated in internal learning courses, which must be completed in order to obtain a mandatory number of professional points.

The employees allegedly claimed they attended double sessions so they didn’t miss sessions, as opposed to attending two to get points faster.

How much should you bring to work?

Bringing your authentic self—opinions and all—to the office can present a managerial minefield, especially at a time of high political and geopolitical tensions.

While forming social relationships in the workplace can help productivity and increase employees’ enjoyment of itcan trade in political opinions counteract these effects.

e.g. a study by Owl Labs released earlier this year found that 45% of US employees would avoid the office because of political opinions expressed by their colleagues or their employer.

Experts therefore encourage staff to find a balance between human connection and excessive sharing.

In 2021, during the height of the pandemic, communications expert Susan McPherson wrote in Harvard Business Review: “Showing up as your ‘authentic’ self is the starting point for building meaningful relationships at work, but it also takes time and intention. The best tool you have here is to listen.”

McPherson added: “Bringing your true self to work means being vulnerable, and not everyone deserves or needs to see that side of you.”

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