Self Awareness meets Emotional Intelligence (EQ)

Wikipedia defines Self-awareness as “The capacity for introspection and the ability to recognize oneself as an individual separate from the environment and other individuals”. Self-Awareness is also the foundation of success and personal growth. Daniel Goleman calls it the ‘keystone’ of emotional intelligence and the ability to recognise your emotions and know your strengths and limits.

Self-awareness is the ability to truly understand how you communicate, motivate, coach, listen, and understand what impact each one can have. Self-awareness is a trait most people don’t even realize they are lacking. They let themselves get put in a box, defined in large part by labels assigned by the people around them or the people they report to. People that are high in self awareness understand what they do well, what motivates and satisfies them, and which people and situations push their buttons.

Strong self-awareness skills allow you to assess situations objectively and rationally without acting before understanding the possible ramifications. A person without self-awareness tends to run on auto-pilot and responds with knee-jerk reactions. This usually leads to short term gain. Becoming self-aware is about the process of understanding yourself.

Having the ability to identify your flaws is important, but failing to accept accountability, as a result of these flaws, is an example of low self-awareness. It’s human nature to be critical of others, while ignoring one’s own flaws. Self-awareness helps turn the mirror on ourselves to avoid hypocritical behavior. Professional growth and self-improvement only happens once flaws are recognized. Create a habit of understanding and acknowledging mistakes rather than making excuses for them.

How often have you said something you’ve later regretted; repeated a bad behavior; or made absent-minded decisions? How would you rate your current level of self-awareness? Step one in improving your self-awareness of Emotional Intellegence is to understand it and Take Action.  The good news is self-awareness can be improved upon and developed.

Below is a list of a few other things that you can do to improve your self-awareness:

> Keep a journal of your victories and mistakes. Ask yourself how did you come to these decisions? What would you change if a similar problem arises again? Ask others for feedback.

> Set performance goals; break big goals down into smaller ones. Identify self-awareness activities that will help you achieve your goals.

> Ask at the end of each day, “What went well today?” “What didn’t?” And, “What can I do to improve this tomorrow?”

> Try meditation…it works. Start with 10 minutes a day. It’s a great practice for improving self-awareness. Begin by focusing on your breathing and silently count your breaths. You’ll become aware of how your mind wanders while getting better at eliminating distractions.

> Leaders – Invest in a Leadership feedback program. It allows a Leader to rate themselves in many core competencies (including self-awareness) and then compares that score to peers, subordinates and supervisors.

These are just a few actions that you can take to improve your self-awareness. The key is to do SOMETHING!

Self-awareness requires self-discipline, the strength to look internally at flaws and resolve to do something to correct them. All it takes is a little practice and the good news is…this practice will Improve Your EQ. Building on and improving your self-awareness is a life-long effort but one that the people around you will appreciate.