Self Awareness

"Self-awareness is the most important skill to be successful in the twenty first century at work" Tasha Eurich

The researcher Tasah Eurich suggests that on average only around 10 to 15% of people are self aware.   She explains there are two types of self-awareness.  Internal awareness is knowing our strengths, values, passions and aspirations and understanding our thoughts and feelings.  External awareness is understanding how other people see us. 

We can increase our internal awareness by job and relationship satisfaction and it obviously decreases when either are affected by anxiety of stress.  External awareness can be improved with empathy from others but also our own understanding of other people's perspectives.

Take time to improve self-awareness by pausing and asking  the right questions:-

• When did I have a positive impact in that meeting?
• What part of my day did I enjoy the most and why?
• Why do I feel uncomfortable when I talk to that person?
• Where do I feel most helpful in my job?
• When have I been at my best this week?

Feedback from trusted friends and colleagues can also increase your awareness.   Ensure that they are supportive and want you to succeed.  They are not afraid to give direct feedback as they care about you personally.  They also understand your world of work. 

Emotionally Intelligent people know "What shadow they cast?" and they keep it consistent.  Good self-awareness is thinking about what you leave in the room after you have gone.  What memory do you want people to have of you and is it the right one, and is it the same memory you left last week. 

We should aim for consistency with internal and external observations:-

How clearly we see ourselves = understanding how other people see us

Identify 3 individuals who can give you feedback and use the questions above to evaluate how good your self-awareness is.

Please do get in touch for a coaching session bev@nuggetsoflearning.co.uk