Manager: What do think is your greatest strength?
Employee: I am a good communicator.
Manager: Why do you say that?
Employee: Because I talk at people.
Manager: At people?
Employee: I meant to say, to people.
Manager: Yes, you are good at talking to people, though I think your listening skills need improvement.
Employee: Oh!
Manager: Let me explain.
Self awareness is about knowing who you are and knowing that how you act and behave can impact on others, a ripple effect. The more we know about ourselves the more self aware we are. To know your self takes effort as your trying to gain a clear perception of your personality, including strengths, weaknesses, thoughts, beliefs, motivation and emotions. Also, you are trying to understand other people, how they perceive you, your attitude and your responses to them. Woah! …….where do I find all this information about me…….perhaps one of those assessments should tell me all I need to know about myself and then I can get on with my life. Self awareness is an ongoing investment in you and the more time you invest in you to understand you, the clearer you will be on your career choices. It is a continuous improvement process.
So you are you? The reality is we tend to be creatures of habit, so perhaps we perceive that it is easier to keep doing what we are doing, than confronting and thinking about who I am and developing that self awareness.
Take the time to know you! A good way to find out about yourself is to ask others that know you… teachers, mentors, friends, colleagues, peers, supervisors, managers. No one person or assessment for that matter will have all the answers. Keep in mind self awareness evolves as you evolve.