Becoming More Self-Aware in the Workplace

Do you consider yourself to be mindful? Do you understand what makes you uniquely you?  And do you understand why you behave the way you do? Are you aware of what goes on around you during your workday? These are important questions that are worth exploring.

 

The greatest leaders understand and know themselves. They speak with candor, readily admit their mistakes, and are self-confident. Self-awareness is important in every aspect of life because it means that you have a sound understanding of who you are as a person and how you relate to the world in which you live. When you are self-aware, you know your strengths and weaknesses and how to manage them in the workplace. You are able to manage your emotions, and the more you pay attention to your emotions and how you perform your work, the better you understand why you do the things the way you do, which is critical to self-leadership.

 

Becoming more self-aware in the workplace allows you to relate better to your colleagues, direct reports and superiors, creating a more harmonious environment. You are able to look at issues more objectively and the role you may have played in creating them. You are mindful and operate in the here and now. But how can you become more self-aware at work when there are so many things to distract you, vying for your time?

 

 

Take a personality test. Personality tests give you insights into who you really are and help you to better understand why you behave the way you do. They also provide guidance for changes that you can make to better yourself at work.

 

Ask for informal feedback from your colleagues, direct reports and your superiors because you get insights into how other see you. Also solicit feedback from family and friends for the same reasons.

 

Journal each day to keep track of your thoughts, feelings and experiences.

 

Meditate for 15 minutes each day to improve your awareness at a specific moment in time. It is a way to monitor your thoughts and feelings.

 

 At the end of each day, take time to reflect on how the day went. Reflecting allows you to course correct if you need to.

 

Becoming a more self-aware person helps you to become a better leader, even if you are only leading yourself.