Not having a healthy self awareness can frustrate us and others and lead to unproductive interactions and prohibiting our success.
We may have all met someone who has a problem or negative run in in nearly every environment they enter. We may have experienced being in a board room where that one person or leader blurts something that is offensive to the group, something off topic or of no real value to the issue at hand.
And we can tell that the person in question has no idea how they are being perceived or how their comments impact others. This is often a result of low EQ (emotional intelligence) and self awareness.
To help us increase self awareness it is helpful to try two things.
When we find ourselves missing the mark in communication, getting results or inspiring our team, ask can ourselves ‘what' questions. The default is often to ask ‘why’ however 'why' questions tend to lead to negative thinking or landing on answers that may feel right but not be right.
'What' questions push us to be more aware by promoting exploratory thinking. For example, instead of asking “Why do I keep hitting roadblocks with this person” try asking “What can I do to help us make progress?” 'Why' may inspire pointing out blame whereas 'what' inspires creative thinking and problem solving.
The second tip to help increase our self awareness is to ask a trusted person about ourselves. It is important that we receive this criticism from one of our ‘champions’ meaning someone who wants us to win, rather than someone who may have jealousy or want our place. A trusted person will be honest in their remarks because they want us to improve and achieve our potential. Once receiving honest criticism we should sit with it and determine what steps may be necessary to get to the next level.
The more self aware we are the better our interpersonal and business relationships and ultimately the greater our chances at achieving success.
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