In our leadership and professional coaching programs, we often talk with doctors about their professional narrative. This is the story of your career: what you have done, why you have made those choices, and the skills and experiences you have built along the way. It goes beyond the traditional resumé or CV.
The focus of this article is not your broader professional narrative, but a much smaller one: the story you tell about a period of leave or absence from work. Put simply, it is what you tell your colleagues about why you are away from work for a while.
We call this a narrative because, while it is grounded in truth, it is not necessarily the whole story of why you were away from work.
Why and when might we need to craft a professional story or narrative for work?
Doctors often talk with us about needing a professional narrative because they are away from work due to circumstances that are deeply personal. These situations may bring up feelings and emotions that you do not want to share with your colleagues, or you may have been advised not to discuss them, as can happen during a formal workplace review or investigation.
There are, of course, many reasons why people step away from work for a period of time. We have explored some of these in recent articles on taking leave, returning to work after an extended absence, and personal life transitions such as pregnancy and raising a newborn baby.
Regardless of the reason, we usually need to be able to say something to our workplace and colleagues about our absence, whether that is before, during or after our time away. Many doctors we speak with find themselves asking, "What do I say?"
People can be away from work for many reasons, some within their control and some not. For example:
A complaint or review process that means a doctor cannot attend work.
A complaint or review process that a doctor has been asked not to discuss.
A health issue affecting you or someone you care for.
Pregnancy, childbirth and raising a baby.
Recovery from burnout, workplace stress or trauma.
The issue is not why you are away from work. It is how you want to talk about your absence in the workplace, if at all.
There are a few reasons why this is an important professional and leadership issue.
We usually need to talk with colleagues and make arrangements to support our time away. This often involves colleagues, managers, human resources and workforce.
People are naturally curious about what is happening around them, particularly when there is a change. Colleagues may ask questions or talk amongst themselves. If there is no information to share, that gap can easily be filled by gossip or assumptions, often based on stereotypes or incomplete information.
For this reason, it is often helpful to have some information that you can share with people. It does not need to be the whole story, just a professional version.
Decide on a general reason and develop a brief professional explanation
Think about your own experience. What has happened that has taken you away from work? As we have already mentioned, this may be a health issue, a workplace process, a new baby, or simply a need for rest and recovery.
Because this is happening to you, you are immersed in all the details and implications of what is going on. However, remember that all of this detail is not necessary or relevant to people at work. Your task is simply to develop a narrative that explains why you are away from work. It does not need to be detailed or tell the whole story.
For example, the statements below are quite general in nature but provide a professional explanation that helps colleagues understand why you are away from work.
I'm taking some time away to care for my family.
I need to be away from work for a while for personal reasons.
I'll be away for a while. It's something I can't discuss further at the moment.
These are examples of ways to bridge the gap between the full personal experience you are living through and the professional version of events that you choose to share at work.
The purpose of the narrative is to let others know that you are away from work while satisfying, to some degree, the natural curiosity that people have about changes around them. Some information is often better than none. We are naturally curious. We want to know what is going on and we tend to look for explanations when something changes. When there is no information, that gap can easily be filled with assumptions, gossip or rumour.
For this reason, it is generally helpful to provide the narrative yourself. It should not be a lie, but it also does not need to be the whole truth. It is more than okay to protect your privacy and to set appropriate boundaries around personal information so that you can feel safe at work.
Why crafting a narrative is hard to do
Crafting a narrative for your workplace can feel difficult because it is happening to you. You are immersed in the experience and all of its detail. For example, if you have just become pregnant, you know you are going to an ultrasound appointment, but at work you might simply say, "I have a personal appointment tomorrow and will be in after lunch." Or you may be managing a serious health issue but choose to say, "I am taking some time off for personal reasons." It is an art to craft a more general statement when what you are experiencing feels deeply personal and significant.
Crafting a narrative is a very personal decision. There is no right or wrong way to do it. Rather, it is about balancing two important considerations: protecting yourself, your privacy and your emotional wellbeing on the one hand, while providing enough context for your colleagues to understand your absence on the other.
To support you, try a perspective-taking exercise. Put yourself in the shoes of your colleagues, who will naturally wonder why you are away. What do they actually need to know? What information will help them continue with their work and, perhaps, cover your responsibilities until you return?
At the most basic level, they simply need to know that you will not be there, when you are likely to return if that is known, and who to contact in your absence if necessary. Beyond that, a broad explanation such as "personal reasons", "family reasons" or "taking some time out" is often enough. It does not need to be any more detailed than that.
You may also feel comfortable sharing more information with some colleagues than others, and it is perfectly reasonable to ask people to keep those conversations confidential. There may be more than one version of your story depending on who you are talking to, and that is okay too.
Further resources
Getting Along: How Can I Step Up in My Boss’s Absence — Without Stepping on Their Toes? | HBR
Dr Anna Clark (PhD) delivers AMA Victoria’s Leadership education and Leadership coaching programs.
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