Professional Development: Start with Awareness

No matter who you are there are always opportunities for growth and learning, and understanding ourselves is no exception.  Self and Social Awareness are vital skills for both professional and personal success.

Have you ever worked with someone who lacked self-awareness?  It can be a bit awkward, as their intentions often don’t match their impact.  We’ve all experienced this, whether on the giving or receiving end of such interactions.  The sender’s intentions were good, and they thought their message was clear only to find the receiver of the message had an unexpected reaction.  So, what do we do?  How do we respond? How do we avoid or mitigate this risk in the future?  At the core, it’s about knowing yourself and being mindful of others.  Success hinges on both self-awareness and social awareness.

Self-awareness helps you understand your thoughts, feelings, and actions.  It can help you manage and regulate your emotions more effectively.  It also helps you grasp how others perceive and interpret you, laying the foundation for social awareness. 

Social awareness, in turn, helps you better understand other’s perspectives, show empathy, and communicate more successfully, leading to better relationships at work and in life.   These improved relationships contribute to psychologically safer and happier environments both at work and at home.

Ask yourself the following questions:

• How well do you know yourself and others? 
• Are you familiar with the natural patterns of thinking, feeling, and behaving? 
• Can you identify the unique talents that you and others possess?    
• Do you know how to value and refine your talents? 

So, where should you start? One way is to get curious, read, and take some self-assessments.  Tools like Clifton Strengths, High 5, Everything DiSC, Enneagram, Myers-Briggs, and the Platinum Rule can be helpful.  These assessments can help you understand your strengths and weaknesses, how you interact with others, and what motivates and demotivates you.  Since these are “self” assessments, it is important to have an open mind.  Then find someone you trust, share your results, and ask for their perspective on which parts sound like you.  You may be surprised how much you learn about yourself and others through this process.  If you want to dive deeper, consider reaching out to a coach certified in the assessments you have used for a more in-depth discussion.