Self awareness in the workplace is crucial to success

What is self awareness in the workplace? 

Emotional intelligence relies heavily on one's ability to manage one's own feelings, emotions, and mental health, and self awareness in the workplace is all about doing just that. 

All of these things have significant effects on our everyday outlook, emotions, and actions at work. Employees who are self-aware do things like: 

get a feel for their needs admit their flaws and strengths 

possess agency over their public persona 

Every worker has strengths and areas in which they may use improvement. Many businesses see the value of investing in their employees' learning and professional growth, and they are doing so in large part because self-awareness is a trait that can be nurtured over time through training. 

Why is self awareness important in the workplace?

Having a high level of emotional intelligence is an extremely valuable trait to have in the workplace, especially if you manage a team or interact frequently with other people.

Here are four benefits that self-aware workers often enjoy:

1. Coping better with pressure and stress

It's understandable that, without effective coping mechanisms, those who are under constant pressure at work can develop stress and worry.

Positive responses to pressure and the prevention of burnout can be achieved via the simple actions of noticing the onset of stressful emotions and taking frequent pauses to relieve pressure.

Self-aware people can change their perspective on a bad event and see it in a more positive light.

2. Managing time more efficiently 

Without sufficient self-awareness in the workplace, it is impossible for workers to effectively manage their time and consistently do their best work. Employees who can anticipate their needs and create a schedule that plays to their strengths while minimising their deficiencies are a huge asset.  

For example, if someone is at their most productive in the morning, they should feel at ease scheduling their day so that they may avoid unnecessary meetings and focus on what really has to get done. 

3. Developing leaders  

Some workers are content simply carrying out the tasks required of them in their current position. The capacity to positively influence coworkers, especially those in managerial positions, is essential for anyone who aspires to advance their career.  

Self-awareness in the workplace is crucial in this respect as well. People who are in tune with themselves are usually conscious of how their disposition and actions affect their coworkers. The ability to empathise is also crucial for conveying vital signals when providing and receiving feedback and criticism.  

4. Enabling progression and high performance 

Ford Motor Company's mid-2000s turnaround CEO Alan Mullaly once observed, "Self awareness is perhaps the biggest opportunity for growth and improvement" (in business, at home, and in life generally). 

The findings of the Korn Ferry Institute support these claims. According to the report's analysis of 486 organisations over a 30-month period, those with the highest rates of return are those who have the most self-aware employees. Companies in the bottom quartile of performance were nearly eight times as likely to have low levels of self-awareness as those in the top tenth. 

How to improve self awareness in the workplace?

Every member of your team needs to have a firm grasp on where they excel and where they may use improvement if they want to rise up the ranks. Here are four suggestions for fostering introspection on the job:

1. Coping better with pressure and stress

Keeping the pressure up requires an open dialogue with your workers.

Have workers keep track of when they feel stress coming on so you can figure out what's causing it.

2. Managing time

Promote independence and self-management

Make sure your workforce is aware that they can and should plan breaks.

3. Developing leaders

Potential leaders should actively seek out experiences that will help them realise the impact of their emotions and actions on those around them.

Implement anonymous questionnaires or check-ins at team meetings to gauge morale.

Drive performance with Access Career Development 

It can be difficult for organisations to know where to start; self-awareness training is a wonderful method to pinpoint problem areas and lay out a path for employees to improve their proficiency in key areas. 

If you're interested in learning more about the advantages of investing in your employees' professional growth, be sure to grab a copy of our most recent free guide, Empowering Your Talent. 

Learn more about the software solution Access Career Development for employees, which can help your staff at any point in their careers. Retaining top talent and seeing quantifiable improvements in productivity and morale are both possible thanks to the professional coaching assistance provided by this method. 

Contact our helpful professional development staff today for a free consultation to talk about the difficulties you're facing and how our career development platform may serve as the foundation for your training and education programmes.