How Much Does Self-Awareness Really Matter? Part 2
Socrates once famously said, “My friend…care for your psyche…know thyself, for once we know ourselves, we may learn how to care for ourselves”
And this has been shortened to two words that truly resonate with each one of us: know thyself. Because if you don’t, then how do you expect others to know you as well?
Last week, we shared about the importance of two things. The first step is accepting the story of your life and writing down your key plans and priorities. And second is the ability and willingness to create a daily habit of meditation for self-reflection.
Now, we’ll dive into two more crucial steps to increase your self-awareness at the maximum level.
#3- Seek honest feedback regularly.
Let’s just admit that receiving feedback is hard. It’s tough to hear the negative things about you. It’s like being exposed to the bare minimum. So, focus on psychological triggers that might block your learning.
Sheila Heen of Harvard University published a study identifying three main triggers that prevent our learning: relationship triggers, identity triggers, and truth triggers. If you feel defensive, think back to why you do.
Often, we can explain it using these triggers. Ask trusted friends. To have your friends play the role of honest mirror, let them know when you are seeking candid, critical, objective perspectives.
Make your friend or colleague feel safe to give you an informal, but direct and honest view. Get regular feedback at work. In addition to informally and periodically asking friends and family, use the formal processes and mechanisms at your workplace.
If none are in place, see if you can implement more formal feedback loops. Constructive and formalized feedback allows us to better see our own strengths and weaknesses as long as they are done properly.
#4 — Take psychometric tests.
A few decades ago, this suggestion may have been met with scowls or raised eyebrows. However, the new generation is more progressive in its mindset and society is now more accepting of psychological treatments or approaches.
The stigma against psychometric tests has been successfully removed from our culture. It can now be viewed as a normal health procedure that is required commercially or by a corporate arena. These types of
tests are designed in a way that there are no particular right or wrong answers.
Instead, they are designed to compel respondents to consider a set of traits or characteristics that most accurately describe them relative to other people.
Having a higher sense of self-awareness helps us to properly navigate relationships with others. Relationships are densely emotional, therefore being self-aware allows us to think of others beyond ourselves and be more considerate rather than assumptive of people’s emotions and feelings.
Self-assessment is essential in the efficiency and success of a leader. By being more self-aware, a leader can determine if he either overestimates himself, the effect of which is to hinder him from seeing his weaknesses and areas of improvement; or underestimates himself leads to untapped potentials and lack of confidence.
The results of self-assessment may not always be completely accurate, however, it will continue to realign you to your own and your company’s goals. It will either bring you back on track or move you to a different direction that you need to go. The rest of your team or company will then follow suit.
Making changes in your behavior is much easier to do when you catch them early on before the momentum of thought and emotion has gathered steam.
The changes in your mind and behavior become simple and easy steps when you develop self-awareness. It will not be a mountain of a task if you do it on a regular basis, each time being done with more ease and confidence.
Self-awareness isn’t only a pathway to happiness but a road to professional success. But definitely, it all starts with you.
