The Dreaded Feedback Pen
One year for my partner’s birthday I gave him a Mont Blanc pen.
Equating the pen as a way of giving me the honest feedback that he had been holding back, he pulled out a piece of paper and created a long list of all the things I could do better. He really went to town. It was a very sobering moment.
We now joke about the feedback pen, but that day was a real eye-opener. The feedback was honest. It gave me a more accurate view of my impact on my partner and others, and it helped me to recognize some of my behaviors that needed changing.
Do you ever wonder if you have an accurate view of yourself? Tara Eurich of Insights shared that 95% of people think they are self-aware but only 10-15% really are. You’ve likely guessed the category you fall into, and you may also be wondering if being self-aware is that important. Is it worth the investment and hearing the harsh truth?
Why Is It So Important To Become More Self-Aware?
People with more self-awareness:
- Tend to perform better
- Are promoted more frequently
- Lead more effectively
AND organisations with more self-aware leaders have stronger financial performance.
If self-awareness is such an important trait to have, why are so few people aware? There are a few key reasons.
First, most of us have blind spots. My mom has a great quote: “You can see a fly on someone else, but you can’t see an elephant on yourself.” – Sheila Danels
Second, we’re wired to operate on autopilot. Autopilot keeps us from truly feeling and experiencing life, yet at the same time, it keeps us safe.
Finally, we’re happier when we see ourselves in a positive light.
Rapidly Growing Your Self Awareness
If you want to grow in self-awareness, there’s hope. In her research, Tara Eurich found people who she considers “unicorns.” These “unicorns” saw significant growth in their self-awareness by engaging in three critical behaviors:
- Shifting their mindset from “I don’t want to know” to wanting to know the truth about themselves and their impact.
- Asking for more feedback from others
- Instead of asking “Why did I do that?”, they asked, “What can I do to improve?”
Here are a few questions you can ask others to gain more insight into yourself:
- How do I best contribute to the team and the organization?
- What’s the one thing I do that detracts from our success?
Based on researching volumes of current and historical studies and decades of proven human development experience, Human Edge knows, without a doubt, self-awareness is a critical trait that can – and must – be cultivated. In the Human Edge CORE™ Leadership assessment, self-awareness is one of the fundamental traits we measure. There are tangible ways to improve self-awareness and diving deep into the insights gained from the CORE™ Leadership assessment serves as the basis for that growth.
To learn more, please reach out. We would love to chat and share additional information.
