Examples of Self-awareness in the Workplace

If you have been working on improving yourself and becoming self-aware, you must have asked, what does self-awareness look like? More so, what does self-awareness in the workplace look like? Self-aware people behave in a certain way and you can notice their behavior.

A self-aware person is in charge of their emotions, feelings and thought. They are aware of themselves and their surroundings and they seem more purposeful in what they do. More so, self-aware people are happier, more content and more authentic.

The thing about self-awareness is that no one is born with it and you have to learn it. You have to make an intention to learn and become more self-aware. My self-awareness course is very effective and helps you become more self-aware and has some self-awareness exercises that can help you develop yourself.

With that in mind, let us look at examples of self-awareness at work.

Understanding your strengths and limitations

A self-aware person knows what their strengths are and what their limitations are. A self-aware person will not be embarrassed about asking for help in areas they are not good at because they are confident in who they are. They know this is not their strong area, it is a limitation for them and they are happy to ask for help. A person that is not self-aware tends to act as if they know everything and will refuse to ask for help or even take criticism from others. If this person is a boss, for example, they will ask someone else to do something and then they will take credit for it since they want to seem as if they know everything.

Being in charge of your emotions

Self-aware people are more in charge of their emotions. They don’t get angry outbursts or throw tantrums when things don’t go their way. They understand their feelings and emotions and can take charge of emotions before their emotions get the better of them. If your colleague has a habit of overreacting to every little thing be it criticism, correction or conflict, their self-awareness is lacking.

Having good self-esteem

If your esteem and self-worth are not tied to external validation, then your self-awareness is good. Self-aware people know who they are and accept themselves for who they are. They do not need other people to validate them so that they feel good about themselves. If a person at work is always seeking validation from others to a point of taking credit for other people’s work just so that they can be told they have done well, then they lack self-esteem. Employees with high self-awareness and therefore high self-esteem are likely to feel more confident and accomplished and perform well at work.

Open-mindedness

If you know someone at work that always makes fun of or bullies people from different backgrounds, then they lack self-awareness. A self-aware person is open to the fact that we are all different and unique individuals with different past experiences and this is okay. They can empathize with people from different backgrounds and don’t see others as less of a person simply because they come from a different background. An example of self-awareness in the workplace is a boss who is open to diversity and inclusion.

Good decision-makers

A self-aware person knows what they stand for and will make decisions even when the decision is unpopular. Indecisiveness is one example of lacking self-awareness. When you are not self-aware, you have trouble making decisions because you are not even sure what you stand for. You are worried that the choice you make will not be the popular one and you cannot stand by it. You are worried about not pleasing everyone and therefore can’t make a choice. A self-aware person, on the other hand, will make a strong decision and deal with the consequences if it comes to it. They will make their choice and stand for it.

Admitting when you are wrong

A self-aware person admits when they are wrong. They don’t jump into being defensive everything they are accused of something. Self-awareness includes knowing that like every other person, you have faults and sometimes you can be wrong. As a result, you admit you are wrong and ask how you can improve your behavior or your decision.

Forming good relationships

A self-aware person forms good and strong relationships. Having good a relationship is whereby each party in this relationship is an independent individual and there is no codependency or other unhealthy factors in this relationship. At work, a self-aware person is seen as authentic and genuine, trustworthy and other people can trust them because they are true to themselves. Simply put, what you see is what you get with these people, there are no hidden meanings in their communication or friendliness.

They react better to external factors

When you are self-aware, you react better to external factors. You are not triggered by every little thing and you welcome opportunities for change. An example of such self-awareness at work is when a new system is introduced and people tend to develop resistance. When you are self-aware, you understand that some things are beyond your control and that resisting them will not help the situation. Therefore, you accept the situation and start seeking ways you can cope with the current situation.