SHOW NOTES:
WorkLife Stories from School of WorkLife Episode: How Developing Self-Awareness Transforms Defensive Reactions Into Professional Growth
Learning how developing self-awareness transforms defensive reactions into professional growth begins with the moment you hear feedback that isn't an attack — and feel it land like one.
Matt had built an eight-year reputation on bold, conceptual design work. But on a Thursday afternoon, listening to a client deliver calm, measured, professional feedback, he felt his jaw clench and his pulse quicken. This is the story of the moment he stopped trying to justify that reaction — and started getting curious about what it was actually protecting.
RESOURCES MENTIONED
The Storytelling Newsletter (Free) Short, focused, and grounded in real WorkLife situations — how we communicate, lead, make decisions, and navigate challenges at work.
Story Lesson: How Developing Self-Awareness Transforms Defensive Reactions Into Professional Growth Learn how to recognise what your strongest reactions are really protecting — and build a working life on genuine self-knowledge rather than defended self-image.
Guided Programme The Pause Before Applause - A Simple Approach to Self-Awareness
Commissioned learning resources, speaking engagements, and organisational partnerships: carmel@schoolofworklife.com
schoolofworklife.com
The stories I write are based on real WorkLife challenges, obstacles, failures and successes. Persons and companies portrayed in the stories are not based on real people or entities. Carmel O’ Reilly
