The Self-Awareness Guy, Author at The Self-Awareness Guy

Self-Aware Leaders Welcome Change in the Workplace

February 21, 2023 / The Self-Awareness Guy / Self-Awareness in Leadership / Examples of Self-Awareness, Leadership Self-Awareness, Self-Aware

I train leaders who are at a point where the old stuff they’ve done isn’t working as well as they’d like and they’re looking to build self-awareness and make some changes. There are many different ways of defining change in the workplace and it’s up to each person to decide what will work for him or her. For some people it means building stronger teams or improving communication, for others it is making slight management changes or developing a plan.

There’s no right or wrong when it comes to changing your workplace, the idea is just to take some kind of action. You call the shots and you get to choose what you want to do. Here are some ideas to help you figure out how to build self-awareness and increase your likelihood of success.

Start Small
It’s much easier to start with small actions rather than trying to take on too much and becoming frustrated.

Be Concrete
Think about what you want to accomplish and then take small actions toward that goal.

Be Consistent
Keep doing things on an ongoing basis and make that routine part of your workplace.

Have Patience
Change doesn’t happen overnight, it takes continuous action over time and allowing time for the changes to take hold.

Celebrate
Enjoy the ride as your move toward your goals. Pat yourself on the back for a job well done and do the same for others.

Try these ideas as a practical way to think about change at work. Modify them to fit your particular goals. The whole point to thinking about these concepts is that change is natural and within your grasp. You have the ability to consciously move in any direction you decide to when you choose to take action.

What will you do to develop self-awareness and welcome change in your workplace?

Cheers,

Guy

Do You Have the Self-Awareness to Communicate Effectively?

February 21, 2023 / The Self-Awareness Guy / Self-Awareness in Leadership / A Self-Awareness, Examples of Self-Awareness, Leadership Self-Awareness, Self-Aware

Countless leaders lack the self-awareness to communicate effectively, instead creating workplaces where people do everything but exchange information positively.

A dynamic I’ve seen repeatedly over the years in many workplaces is when something goes wrong or a difficult situation comes up and people stop communicating. This can take the form of not talking to someone because a problem has arisen or ignoring people when things get difficult. The results of this type of behavior are less than stellar when dealing with co-workers or clients.

When you decide not to communicate it leads to making the situation worse because you don’t deal with the issue at hand and both sides are left to make assumptions and create a one-sided view of what’s going on. It’s the opposite of effective communication because there is no exchange of information or ideas.

So what causes this behavior and what can you do about it? Many leaders and employees who lack self-awareness mean well but behave this way because they have not learned how to deal with difficult communication situations. They get uncomfortable or shut down when something is too hard to deal with. Others get angry or hurt and, since they don’t yet have the skills to open the lines of communication, the problem simply gets worse. Here are some tips to help you communicate even in the most challenging situations.

1. Realize that the situation is not personal.

2. Let go of any need to win, be right or save face.

3. Listen to what the other person has to say without rebutting or arguing.

4. Work with the other person to find a mutually acceptable solution.

5. Keep calm and look for ways to be accommodating and helpful.

6. Be as open and transparent as possible.

7. Work on your own emotional response to difficult situations.

8. Take an effective communication class.

9. Train all your employees so that communicate well.

10. Stop pretending that silence fixes things.

Try these ideas and you’ll get much better results than if you shut the communication down. Workplaces are plagued by the damage that comes from well-meaning people shutting down the lines of communication. What starts out as an attempt to avoid confrontation ends up creating one.

What will you do to develop self-awareness and communicate effectively?

Cheers,

Guy

Self-Aware Leaders Know Employees Matter

February 20, 2023 / The Self-Awareness Guy / Self-Awareness in Leadership / Examples of Self-Awareness, Leadership Self-Awareness, Self-Aware

Leaders who lack self-awareness try all kinds of strategies to show their employees they matter. These efforts frequently consist of well-meaning but superficial attempts to demonstrate how much the organization really cares. Things like:

The company picnic.
Employee of the month (including photo on wall).
Mention in the newsletter.
Bonus of some kind.
Giveaway of some kind.
Group email extolling some accomplishment.

These types of efforts yield short-term morale boosting results for the person being recognized. What they overlook is building morale by celebrating the unique talents and abilities of everyone and doing it on a deeper level.

So how do self-aware leaders show employees they matter? It’s a revolutionary process called listening to them, which works like this:

Set up a time with the employee where you can talk with no interruptions and both of you are relaxed.
Ask the employee how he or she is doing. Also ask what’s going well in their job and what they would improve. Ask them for their ideas on how to improve things. Make sure to ask only open-ended questions, the kind that don’t result in a yes or no.
Listen to him or her without interrupting, getting defensive, opining, giving advice, fixing anything or reacting negatively.
Repeat the process at a time convenient for both of you.

This practical approach will help you show your employees they matter in less time and with far greater meaning than any recognition program. The reason for this is that people like for their bosses to show an interest in them as well as value their input and wisdom. They like to be recognized on a personal level and feel like they’re important. Listening also builds rapport and trust on an individual level.

So much of the way many organizations run is squeezing the most performance possible out of everyone and then throwing them one or two a recognition crumbs. Self-aware leaders understand that connecting with their employees directly and compassionately creates a happier, more effective workplace. It also helps leaders because they gain insights and perspectives they might not otherwise if they hadn’t listened.

Listening is a powerful tool to validate your employees and show them they matter. Try this approach sometime and make it a habit. You’ll learn things about your employees and organization that will help you lead better and get more done. It also gives you a remarkable opportunity to take action to build a more highly functioning and happier workplace.

An important added benefit: Your employees will like you more. What will you do to develop self-awareness, listen to your employees, and show them they really matter?

Cheers,

Guy

Self-Aware Leaders Trust Their Employees

February 20, 2023 / The Self-Awareness Guy / Self-Awareness in Leadership / Examples of Self-Awareness, Leadership Self-Awareness, Self-Aware

I’ve met many leaders who lack self-awareness and don’t trust their employees. They hover endlessly around any given employee and offer “helpful” tips or constantly correct whatever the person is doing. They allow no independence and don’t delegate tasks. I’ve had leaders nonchalantly express in several workshops that they can’t trust their employees to do anything right so they have to do it themselves.

Guess what kind of workplace these leaders create? It’s usually one populated by employees who are flustered, annoyed, dependent, unfulfilled, unmotivated, and who don’t really care about their work. After all, why work hard when your talents and abilities will never be recognized?

Not trusting employees is not about being good or bad, you’ll just get better results if you trust people rather than constraining them. If you don’t trust your employees here are five tips to help you build self-awareness and move in a positive direction.

1. Ask yourself the question, “Do I like it when people trust me?” Most people feel great when their bosses trust them.

2. Take a look at yourself. There is a reason you don’t trust people because there are many leader who actually trust their staff and get excellent results from them. Without mentioning your employees and focusing only on yourself, what is the reason?

3. Provide educational opportunities. If you feel you can’t trust an employee with a given task then provide training that will help them learn the necessary skills. Extra credit if you allow someone else other than you do the training.

4. Do you feel out of control when your employees make their own decisions? This is a very normal feeling to have and it can be shifted by simply giving people the ability to work independently.

5. Change your focus. If all you think about is that people are untrustworthy then that’s the kind of workplace you’ll create. Look for ways to focus on how you can trust your employees more every day.

Perhaps you’ve heard the phrase, “Trust is earned,” which too often allows leaders who lack self-awareness set arbitrary and constantly changing standards that nobody can ever meet. Granted, there are going to be employees that you can’t trust because you caught them stealing but, for everyone else, they’re just there to try to do a good job if you’ll let them. You decide whether you give them the benefit of the doubt or keep them stuffed in a box.

What will you do to develop self-awareness and trust your employees more?

Cheers,

Guy

Self-Aware Leaders Know How to Keep Their Employees Motivated

February 19, 2023 / The Self-Awareness Guy / Self-Awareness in Leadership / Leadership Self-Awareness, Self-Aware, Work Environment and Self-Awareness

It can be challenging to keep employees motivated in any organization in the face of deadlines, workloads, interpersonal conflicts, rules and directives. Self-aware leaders are able to motivate their employees even when times get tough because they understand how to help people inspire themselves instead of forcing them to think and act a certain way. Here are some practical ideas on how to keep your employees motivated:

1. Praise employees. Catch people doing things well and let them know that you value their work. Praise desirable behaviors, it will increase the likelihood that people will behave that way in the future. Reinforce positive behaviors rather than correcting people when they’ve, “Done something wrong.”

2. Design and implement motivational activities. Create a weekly program in your workplace where people celebrate each other. You’ll appreciate how much you can boost morale by setting aside twenty minutes weekly so people can praise each other for a job well done.

3. Assign people meaningful work. Learn what your employees’ talents and interests are and give them duties based on things they enjoy doing. People feel more energized and important when they are given work that means something to them rather than being required to do unfulfilling tasks.

4. Value people equally. Stay away from having a favorite employee who gets special treatment or extraordinary attention. Treat everyone equally and emphasize that each person is vital to your organization’s success. Show people they matter by appreciating their unique input and efforts.

5. Have a plan to keep people motivated. Motivation doesn’t happen unless you commit to creating a culture that builds and supports it over time. Focus on a long-term process and have key people continue training others and motivating people throughout the organization.

Keeping your employees motivated requires commitment, attention and ongoing support. Try the five ideas we’ve talked about here, practice them over time and you’ll enjoy the benefits of a motivated workforce.

What will you do to develop self-awareness and keep your employees motivated?

Cheers,

Guy

Leaders Who Lack Self-Awareness Guarantee High Employee Turnover

February 19, 2023 / The Self-Awareness Guy / Self-Awareness in Leadership / Lacking Self-Awareness, Leadership Self-Awareness, Self-Aware

I often hear leaders who lack self-awareness talk about their high turnover problems as if they exist completely removed from anything that is going on in the workplace. I’ll have a well-meaning but completely baffled leader tell me that she simply can’t figure out why she can’t hold on to her best employees or that people just keep leaving for some reason. Here are twenty ways that leaders who lack self-awareness guarantee high employee turnover.

Keep asking employees to do more and more work in the same amount of time.
Don’t praise employees.
Don’t give people adequate breaks.
Nobody is available to listen to employees if they have an idea or an issue of some kind.
Low pay.
Poor benefits.
Limited or non-existent opportunities for advancement.
People aren’t able to use the talents and abilities that are meaningful to them, they’re just hired to fill seats.
Everything in the workplace is geared toward productivity and money, not people.
No training opportunities beyond those that make you do more work in less time.
Employees are treated as if they’re expendable.
Continuously reminding people that at least they have a job and, if they don’t like it, there’s the door.
Leadership is distant and not genuinely engaged with employees.
People only hear about their performance when it’s something negative.
The organization doesn’t seem to care about harassment, bullying or conflict.
Leaders say one thing and do another as in proclaiming that they care about employees and then working them to exhaustion for little pay.
Leaders create an environment where people are afraid to take a vacation because they think they’ll lose their job.
No two-way communication, leaders simply talk at employees and direct them to do things.
Lack of kindness and compassion.
Top leadership doesn’t believe in treating employees well.

There are many reasons why employees leave their jobs but most of them have to do with not feeling valued, important or fulfilled. When your job doesn’t matter to you and your employer doesn’t care about you it’s much easier to leave the organization.

The perplexing thing is that many leaders practice these behaviors and design these types of workplaces even though they’d get better results if they were more self-aware and made minor adjustments to build happier workplaces. The starting point is for the leader to realize that he or she can create a workplace that values people.

What will you do to develop self-awareness, celebrate employees, and reduce turnover?

Cheers,

Guy

Insecure People Lack Self-Awareness

February 19, 2023 / The Self-Awareness Guy / Self and Self-Awareness, Self-Awareness / A Self-Awareness, Self-Aware, Self-Awareness Examples, Self-Knowledge, What Is Self-Awareness / 5 Comments

Insecure people lack self-awareness and are often afraid of other human beings, new situations, and different ideas. Self-aware individuals are comfortable with diversity and change and are able to get along with a wide range of people.

Insecurity chips away at our self-esteem and keeps us stuck feeling poorly about ourselves. It can even affect our relationships because it inserts and unhealthy element into the relationship. Insecurity can be defined as when someone feels that they are not worthwhile. People feel insecure when they are scared, feel threatened or feel like they are not important.

Some people withdraw when they are insecure, others lash out. Regardless of how we behave, insecurity is about having a how we feel about ourselves. So what can we do to feel better about ourselves? Think of the following ideas to increase your self-awareness and self confidence, and reduce your insecurity:

Characteristics of Secure People
Aren’t threatened by others.
Listen well and don’t require attention by talking.
Don’t require attention all the time.
Are comfortable with other people’s success.
Don’t feel they have to win.
Don’t put other people down to make themselves feel better.

Characteristics of Insecure People
Threatened by others.
Talk a lot to get attention.
Need to be the center of attention.
Jealous of others’ success.
Competitive, always need to win.
Put people down to feel better.

Think of yourself, where do you fall on these two extremes? If you see yourself on the insecure side, don’t worry, all you have to do is increase some of the positive traits. Even very insecure people can feel better about themselves by doing things that allow them to build self-awareness and experience their own success.

I suggest to my clients that they find out something they like to do and pursue it. Learn from the successes and challenges in life and you will learn how to feel great about yourself. Feeling secure takes some practice but the rewards are amazing.

What will you do to develop self-awareness and feel less insecure?

Cheers,

Guy