Many years ago, I worked in the legal system, in the courtroom. Every morning at nine, the court orderly shouted, "All Rise!" as the judge walked up to the bench. The judges always had a stern face, the "judge face" as we used to call it, but outside of the courtroom, these "serious" judges were quite friendly. What would happen if they were just as friendly on the bench? Would the lawyers, police, officers, jury, members, reporters, and the general public take them seriously?

How many of you adopt a persona at work, and outside of work you are your authentic self? Must you always censor yourself to be professional and presentable to control how others perceive you?

What if you could be authentic at work? Would you have more of a sense of well-being and job satisfaction?

Academic research conducted by the University of Houston in Texas and the University of Greenwich in London has shown that being authentic at work doesn't affect how happy people are with their job. But on the other hand, a study conducted by Harvard Business School suggests differently. That when employers promote self-expression in the workplace, it reduces turnover and increases productivity.

At the end of the day, it's all about balance -- some self-expression allowed, but not too much.

How much self-expression do you allow in the workplace? Do share your thoughts.