This document discusses the trend of "Bringing Your Own Self" (BYOS) to work, which involves integrating one's personal and professional lives through technology. It argues that BYOS is a natural extension of employees dictating their own terms of engagement with employers. BYOS provides opportunities for both individuals and companies. For individuals, BYOS allows people to utilize a wider range of their skills and digital connections to remain valuable in an increasingly automated workforce. For companies, embracing BYOS can help attract and engage talent by allowing people to bring their full selves to their work. The digital implications of BYOS are significant and require updating technology and infrastructure to support mobility, collaboration both inside and outside the organization, and the blurring of

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Bring
Your Own Self
A white paper by Ade McCormack, Auridian and Nikhil Kulkarni, HP

2. Introduction
Work-life balance is being superseded by
work-life integration. But what does this
mean beyond dealing with emails on holiday
or making dental appointments whilst
at work? As we enter the digital era the
increased convergence of both work and
life is going to have profound implications
on workforce engagement and technology
infrastructure.
Whilst work and life appear to be on a collision course the issue of one’s professional and private personas
also need consideration. Many of us wear a professional persona during working hours that perhaps
cloaks our true nature (and thus our off-resume capability), which may in fact be of value to the employer.
There is also the convergence/clash of our digital personas, particularly in respect of our social
networks. Bringing Your Own Self (BYOS) to work thus embraces both one’s innate qualities and digital
connectedness with the purpose of providing greater value to the employer. Of course the prospect of a
better integrated life will increasingly be used by organisations to attract the best talent.
BYOS is simply a natural extension of the BYOx phenomenon (where x = device, app, datacentre or
even family), where the employees are increasingly dictating the terms of engagement with employers.
However BYOS is not just about caving in to the demands of Gen Y, it is an opportunity for the employer to
acquire greater value from their talent again through their wider personal capabilities as well as their digital
connectedness.
This white paper explores both the anthropological and digital impact of this evolving trend along with how
both individuals and corporations can turn this to their advantage.
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The work-life integration trend
Nobody can deny that technology is changing both business
and society. However the biggest changes are anthropological
as humanity returns to its natural state. Only 12,000 years ago
we chased lunch across the savannah. Our brains were wired
to be both mobile and social. Our work and private lives were
truly integrated. If dinner appeared on the horizon after ‘office
hours’, and you hadn’t eaten for two days, you were unlikely to
leave the opportunity until 9am the next day.
Our brains are still wired for this arrangement and despite
attempts by the industrial era to constrain our natural tendency
to be mobile and social we are now, thanks to technology,
returning to our true nature.
It is this rekindling of our natural state that characterises the
transition from the industrial to the digital economy. Technology
is the enabler rather than the driver. We can think of ourselves
today as digital hunter-gatherers.
In keeping with our natural state of embracing work-life
integration, we are experiencing the convergence of our private
and professional lives. Those that fight it on the grounds that
their employers do not own them are both missing the point
and becoming increasingly stressed.
As we will see the younger generation are quite secure in
respect of who owns their lives and so are less defensive
about the relationship once both parties have decided that
there is mutual benefit in cooperating.
The notion of a job for life or even a one life-one career model
no longer applies. Market volatility will require all parties to
reinvent themselves in line with current demand. Career
planning will follow Lean Start up principles. That is to say the
notion of long term career planning will be redundant. Fast
moving markets will require us to change career direction with
the agility of a hare pursued by a greyhound. We can either be
the greyhound chasing market opportunities. Or the hare being
the future victim of a misread market. These market conditions
will likely morph the employment model into one that is more
agile in order to give all parties the flexibility they need.
I believe this will drive many of us into a contractor/freelancer
model of working. This consequently leads to us becoming an
enterprise of one, which will live or die based on the perceived
value placed on us by the market.
We are all being driven to come to work wearing our ‘game
face’ much like professional athletes in the Olympic finals. You
will see from their expression that everyone on the start line is
one hundred percent present and focused on the objective.
So BYOS means mobilising our full selves, both emotionally
and digitally, for the benefit of our employers/clients.
Talent implications
Google’s Eric Schmidt, speaking at the World Economic
Forum in Davos, warns “The race is between computers and
people and the people need to win,” he said. “I am clearly
on that side. In this fight, it is very important that we find the
things that humans are really good at.” Increasingly, machines
are removing the need for skilled jobs that only a few years
ago were considered beyond automation. Amazon ‘delivery
drones’ and Google’s ‘driverless cars’ are indicative of a trend
towards squeezing humans out of the value chain.
How many of us can truly say that the skills we are employed
for today will never be replicated by a computer? If our value
proposition can be articulated as a set of processes (even
done well) then we are ripe for digital replacement. However
if we can bring to bear our talents and connections that sit
outside the traditional job description then perhaps there is still
a place for us.
We have earned our social connections through reputation.
This is quite different to a computer with access to the contact
details of everyone in the world. Just because the technology
has the capability to reach out to the wider market it is less
likely to secure support compared to a person calling upon
their social network.
If we consider the set of skills the employee has as being
a subset of their complete skillset’ If that broader skillset
comprises skills that require a high degree of emotional
intelligence and creativity then again it is less likely that they will
be swapped out for a piece of technology.
So when HR professionals talk about human resources the
emphasis needs to move from resources to the human aspect
of the talent pool. Again we need to bring our complete self to
work including our digital connections if we are to keep ahead
of the automation steamroller.
Talent creativity will no longer be constrained to ‘working
hours’. Being outcome focused, neither the staff nor their

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bosses will be concerned about ‘time at the mill’. And the
talent that you do provide will be a combination of skills you
have acquired professionally and those emerging from life
outside of work, for example hobbies, interests and voluntary
activities.
This is all part of an increase in (or a return to) work life
integration. We are more likely to trust those in our social
network and so would rather deal with those we trust when
it comes to professional matters. Financial advisors with
wide social networks are more attractive to employers than
those who are simply competent in their knowledge of the
associated products and services. They are also more
attractive to clients who may also be in need of non-related
services who would value introductions to the appropriate
people in the advisor’s network.
So again you will be a more attractive human asset if you
also have a healthy digital footprint and skills than cannot
be automated out. One of the authors of this paper recently
spoke on the subject of BYOS to the IT function of a large
organisation. One of the technical architects present pointed
out afterwards that she felt relieved that the world of work
was changing. “Having to suppress one’s personality or even
gender (for 50% of the population) gets in the way of doing
great work. Being passionate fundamentally means bringing
your whole self to work rather than just the professional
‘corporate approved’ veneer.”
In any case as process automation increases the need for
process automatons will diminish. If you are a corporate
compliant process cog you need to think again about your
digital economy skillset.
Talent will increasingly arrive fully engaged and committed
to meeting the organisation’s objectives because at least for
a short period of time both the employee and the employer
share the same objectives.
Given the power shift from employer to employee
coupled with the increasing trend towards freelancing the
traditional distinction between employer and employee will
become blurred.
Digital implications
The digital implications are profound. Not least because of the
need to refresh the technology infrastructure to reflect:
• The blurring of work and life.
• The need for mobility.
• The need for collaboration both internally (within the
organisation) and externally.
The social implications are potentially transformative if
organisations embrace the required technologies. We can
think of our networks as follows:
• Corporate – These are people we work within the
organisation.
• Professional Direct – These are people we are connected
to that operate in the same niche as we do, including those
residing up and down the value chain in which we operate.
They do not work for our current employer.
• Professional Indirect – These are people we are connected
to who are unlikely to be of direct value to us in progressing
our professional activities. However there may be some
overlap in respect of industry vertical or we worked with
them at an earlier stage in our career.
• Social – These are primarily friends and family.
Keep in mind that our networks can be considered as not
only our first degree connections but their direct connections
as well.
Currently some organisations constrain their people to their
corporate network whilst at work. In recent years many have
embraced the Professional Direct network. Social networks are
making inroads primarily because the users demand access.
In some cases social access is limited to certain times of
the day. Organisations generally don’t have a view on the
Professional Indirect networks.
But imagine if within the organisation two people are having an
online discussion on a certain issue that needs to be resolved.
If they can’t resolve it they may explore the Corporate ‘Yellow
Pages’ to see if there is an expert in house. Wouldn’t it be
great if the social system being used proactively searched the

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Corporate Directory, but also searched the employees’ wider
networks to find the appropriate expertise?
That would be powerful. That is the digital element of bringing
your whole self to work. And imagine your surprise to discover
that a cousin of yours whom you have had very little actual
contact turns out to be the best person to solve the issue. You
win. Your organisation wins. And the family wins!
Leadership implications
Leaders who do not recognise the shift in power between the
employees and the organisation will find it increasingly difficult
to ‘control’ their staff. Social media will ensure that old school
organisations are marked as talent-unfriendly which will lead to
a talent drought followed by a slow corporate death.
Leaders who recognise this shift will adapt their leadership
style from command and control to obstacle removal. Their
primary role will be to create the ideal conditions for the talent
to achieve and apply mastery in their chosen field in a manner
that benefits all parties; and to harness their networks in the
process.
Organisational leaders will need to review their technology
infrastructure to accommodate the mobility and social
requirements of their people. Bring your own device is only
the tip of the iceberg in terms of staff expectations. This will
pressure test your current security framework and most likely
lead to a radical review of what is considered valuable from a
security perspective.
In an environment where the workers are more motivated than
the managers, the need for middle management becomes
questionable. It is worth considering how you will redeploy this
soon to be redundant layer from your organisational structure.
The need for ‘carrot and stick’ brandishing bosses will diminish
and the need for genuine leaders will emerge. Many of us who
consider ourselves leaders may be exposed by this cultural
shift. It will also raise the question around what purpose does
the Human Resources department serve.
Organisations that embrace this new world of work will
enjoy the brand benefits which will be virally powered by the
increasingly social economy. This will in turn attract the best
talent. The advantages will be compounded by being an early
mover to this new model.
Organisations that ignore or fight the social tide will increasingly
find themselves at a competitive disadvantage.
What lies ahead
In many respects traditional IT is becoming commoditised. No
organisation today gains competitive advantage from the use
of word processing software, email or customer relationship
management systems.
The advantage is increasingly emerging from the organisations
talent (and their networks). Many of us may feel comfortable
because we believe that by virtue of sitting in front of a
computer we can consider ourselves knowledge workers. But
many of us are just a ‘software update’ away from redundancy.
Eventually people will realise that their value proposition must
extend way beyond process handle turning. They will soon
become aware of the economic value of their networks
and will likely start to tend to them with the loving care of
professional gardeners.
The convergence of business analytics, contextual search
and social media will genuinely change the game. In blunt
terms unless digital transformation embraces this reality then
all that has been achieved is greater automation of a doomed
business model.

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Conclusion
As individuals if we are to remain
professionally attractive, we need to drop the
notion of work life balance and focus more on
an integrated life where world class mastery
is the focus.
As acquirers of talent, organisations need
to provide both a cultural environment and
technical infrastructure that will enable people
to flourish and contribute to the wellbeing of
your clients.
The notion of bringing your own self has:
• Technological implications in that private and professional apps should be available when and
where required.
• Data implications (and thus security implications) in that an integrated model comprising your people’s
private, professional and hybrid social networks can be harnessed for the benefit of all.
• Cultural implications in that perceptions in respect of work and leadership need to be revised to
accommodate and capitalise on fully engaged but not necessarily acquiescent people.
• Professionalism implications in that each individual needs to cultivate a mastery (rather than employee)
mind set along with a suite of behaviours that support the individual’s intended brand positioning.
Treating the employer as a highly desirable client rather than someone to blame for your derailed dreams
may be a challenge for some.
• Behavioural implications in that people view both their professional and personal selves as two elements
of their brand and thus do not necessarily try to suppress either out of (industrial era) context.
Those of us who have been around a while may struggle with the transition to this blended self. But the
next generation know no different so we need to prepare for this new organisational model now and gain
the advantages of making an early transition to the digital era.
Tomorrow when you set off for work ensure that all of you is making the journey!

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About the Authors
Ade McCormack
is an opinion columnist with the Financial Times (since
2004). He is the author of a number of books relating to new
technology and leadership, including the acclaimed ‘e-Skills
Manifesto – A Call to Arms’.
He has also lectured at MIT Sloan School of Management
on digital leadership as part of the MBA programme. He also
helps organisations prepare for the digital economy
www.ademccormack.com.
Ade’s Digital Strategist blog www.the-digital-strategist.com
was short listed by Computer Weekly magazine as one of the
most influential blogs in respect of digital leadership.
Ade has worked in over twenty countries across many
sectors. He has a degree in Physics with Astrophysics.
You can find more information here:
www.ademccormack.com
Nikhil Kulkarni
has worked with HP since 2009 developing into a sought
after business consultant specialising in Workplace and
Mobility Solutions.
Nikhil has 14 years’ experience in consulting, sales and
new business development. Entrepreneurial and customer
focused consulting practitioner with demonstrable success
in networking and influencing at all levels within multinational
companies covering Healthcare, Manufacturing, Utilities,
Pharmaceuticals, Defence, Retail and Public sectors.
Nikhil has worked in a trusted advisor capacity to help
clients harness new technologies i.e. mobility, unified
communications, enterprise collaboration, social media and
cloud platform. Clients seek Nikhil’s advice in identifying
strategic initiatives within businesses, developing and
implementing business cases to adopt new technologies.
Prior to joining HP, Nikhil has worked in various senior sales
and business development positions at Microsoft.
Nikhil has a MBA from the University of Leicester.
HP is the world’s largest provider of IT infrastructure, software, services, and solutions to individuals and
organizations of all sizes. We bring the advantages of our scale, the breadth and depth of our portfolio,
our innovation, and our competitiveness to our customers every day and in almost every country in the
world. HP invents, engineers, and delivers technology solutions that drive business value, create social
value, and improve the lives of our clients.
In Enterprise Services, one of the largest divisions of HP, our strategy is to deliver high-value solutions
to help clients innovate, manage information and risk, and become more agile so they can better serve
their customers and citizens.
HP wants to take you on a journey to the Workplace of the Future, a flexible “as a service” model,
where the user rather than the device, is driving the computing experience. At its core, we aim to lower
your operational costs, increase employee productivity and business agility, all within the limits of high IT
security. For more information please visit:
www.hp.com/go/futureofworking