Recently, I have had discussions with old students of mine about Self Awareness and how that falls into responsibilities in the workplace. It is one thing for someone to tell you you are doing something wrong that you were not aware was wrong, it is a completely different thing to view your actions from an outsiders’ perspective and learn from and correct them before they hinder your progress at work.
Self-awareness. I have found many articles that have listed Self Awareness as one of the top traits of successful people and successful leaders. But how do we do it? How do we build self-awareness as a skill? Anthony K. Tjan lays it out perfectly in his article in the Harvard Business Review https://hbr.org/2012/07/how-leaders-become-self-aware
- Test Yourself And Know Better
Use the results of a Personality test such as Strengthsfinder to figure out what trait is the one that drives you as a leader. Tjan notes that there are pros and cons to each type of test but it is a good starting point.
- Watch Yourself And Learn
Tjan suggests that every time you have a decision to make, you take the time to write down what you expect is going to happen. Then after the effects of your decision have had time to show up, compare what you thought might happen with what actually happened. This way you are thinking about possible outcomes ahead of time instead of constantly reviewing the outcomes in a reflective way.
- Be Aware Of Others Too
It is important to understand your own strengths and weaknesses, but it is equally important to understand those of others as well. Great teams are a mixture of people who complement each other – this type of set up allows us to see things from other perspectives which help to create the best environment for improvements and growth.
In our roles in student development, we are working alongside our co-workers and students to achieve a common goal. By being aware of your own actions and expectations in the work place, you will be better able to help those around you understand theirs better and understand how they fit into the organization
By: Caitlin
Make Your Own Awesome 