Publication 11, Issue 5
What’s your self-awareness IQ?
There were a ton of management topics swirling around in my head this month, so I had trouble picking one to write about. Of course, they all had the common theme of using the “right words and actions” to motivate the people we work with, whether it was in a performance review, a team meeting or just in the day-to-day interactions managers have with their teams. But it’s more than that…
My coaching clients have had some amazing management-changing experiences over the past few months and I take my hat off to them! These managers have shifted their thinking from “how can I get along better with…” or “what can I do to get through to…” to “who am I?”, “what makes me tick?”, “what’s my life purpose?” and “how can I be more productive and happy at work?” And it’s made all the difference in their work lives!
So, it does all boil down to knowing who “you” are first – it’s the only “who” you can manage or influence – so what’s your self-awareness IQ? No, it’s not another leadership assessment I’m going to ask you to take – I’ll tell you about that in September – hah! But, seriously, managers who know “who” they are and “own it” – have a more fulfilled and happy work life!
So let’s flip the discussion and focus on you, the manager. Let’s figure out your “who.” Whether you have time with me as a coach or not, you can reflect on these three things:
- What are your personal values, beliefs and thoughts? Here’s some food for thought: take an inventory and ask yourself some difficult questions – are you authentic, genuine, caring, compassionate, a helper, control freak?, to name a few. Do you value getting things done through people or just getting things done? Do you value intellect and education? Do you spring into action at every corner or think through things before acting?
- What happens when your buttons get pushed or one of your values is compromised? Do you withdraw, fight back, not care or get back at the other person?
- How do you overcome obstacles? Do you ignore them and just plow through, think about them and take action, spend the time thinking about the “why’s” and not take action or beat yourself up about them?
Whatever the answers are to these questions – own them! There are no “right” or “wrong” responses, they are just meant to get the juices flowing when it comes to figuring out your “who” – only you can reflect on them and know what works best for you.
