Self-Awareness and Making the World a Better Place - On Developing Self-Awareness and Being Self-Aware

Self-Awareness and Making the World a Better Place

/ / Self-Awareness, Self-Consciousness / , , ,

Self-awareness is a vital component of making the world a better place because when people understand themselves well and possess inner peace and balance they tend to interact positively and compassionately with others. Here are some ways that self-awareness helps build a better world:

  • You’re willing to take an honest, candid look at who you are and improve the areas that need attention so you can interact positively with others.
  • You’re open to change and different ideas.
  • Working through your unresolved issues makes you less likely to put them on others.
  • Feeling balanced and at peace within yourself makes you less susceptible to influences that lead in a negative direction.
  • When you feel great about yourself in a healthy way you don’t have to dominate or subjugate others.
  • When you know yourself deep inside you don’t have to look to outside entities to give you meaning because you do it for yourself.
  • You live with compassion because you realize that everyone has challenges to overcome and we are all interconnected and interdependent.
  • You take care of yourself and others.
  • You live consciously and mindfully instead of reacting to your environment.
  • Feeling healthy inside greatly reduces fear and increases your ability to think and act courageously.
  • When you’re balanced and fulfilled you’re more likely to have empathy toward others.
  • You share your positive attributes with the world.

Making the world a better place means finding ways for people to be happy about who they are instead of working out their issues on each other. Self-awareness is an essential tool because it helps people find the peace and balance necessary to connect meaningfully with themselves and others. How will you make the world a better place for yourself and as many other people as possible?

Cheers,

Guy

101 Effective Communication Tips for Self-Aware Workplaces - On Developing Self-Awareness and Being Self-Aware

101 Effective Communication Tips for Self-Aware Workplaces

/ / Self-Awareness in Leadership / , , ,

Effective communication skills are vital for building a well-functioning workplace yet many people who lack self-awareness interact with each other using styles they learned at home or through their friends or co-workers. Here are 101 effective communication tips to help you build a healthier, happier, more self-aware workplace:

1. Listen to your employees.
2. Don’t interrupt.
3. Don’t offer advice.
4. Refrain from trying to fix things.
5. Don’t give your opinion if not solicited.
6. Stop yourself from jumping in.
7. Don’t react or get upset.
8. Listen for key terms.
9. Set basic ground rules.
10. Repeat information back to the person.
11. Paraphrase what the person has said.
12. Ask the person open-ended questions.
13. Talk in a quiet environment.
14. Talk at a time that isn’t busy.
15. Be friendly.
16. Be courteous.
17. Don’t sit behind a desk.
18. Set up a comfortable atmosphere.
19. Let the other person lead the conversation.
20. No retribution for anything said.
21. Keep confidentiality.
22. Work with the person to find solutions.
23. Be open to more conversations.
24. Be gentle.
25. Talk at the other person’s pace.
26. Be kind.
27. Be caring.
28. Act like you’re interested.
29. Face the person.
30. Look at the person.
31. Nod and say “uh huh.”
32. Invite the person to keep talking.
33. It’s OK to have silences.
34. Try not to guide the conversation.
35. Let the other person set the agenda.
36. Meet at a time the other person determines.
37. Be open to ideas.
38. Be open to changing your mind.
39. Don’t react out of emotion, especially anger.
40. Empathize with the other person.
41. Put yourself in the other person’s shoes.
42. Be helpful.
43. Act like the other person matters.
44. Allow enough time for the conversation.
45. Leave your ego at the door.
46. Leave personal beefs behind.
47. Leave negative opinions out of the meeting.
48. Talk only when the other person asks you to do so.
49. Let the other person talk most of the time.
50. Resist the temptation to rebut.
51. This isn’t the time to be right.
52. Don’t try to prove a point.
53. No arguing allowed.
54. No convincing the other person of your point of view.
55. Don’t cross your arms.
56. Thank the person for meeting with you.
57. Don’t pull rank.
58. Don’t mention policies or procedures.
59. Don’t reference the employee manual.
60. This isn’t the time to punish.
61. Encourage the other person’s thoughts.
62. Build rapport.
63. Show an interest in the other person.
64. Learn about the other person.
65. Appreciate the information they are giving you.
66. Focus on the other person.
67. Don’t think of the next thing you want to say.
68. Smile.
69. Try not to crack jokes at the other person’s expense.
70. Don’t diminish or minimize what the person is saying.
71. Don’t negate what the other person is saying.
72. This isn’t about right and wrong, it’s about talking.
73. Don’t teach.
74. Don’t try to dominate.
75. Don’t try to control the situation.
76. Turn your phone off.
77. All ideas are welcome.
78. One person talks at a time.
79. Act like a grownup.
80. Avoid confrontation.
81. Don’t take things personally.
82. The other person’s opinion is incredibly valuable.
83. Think in terms of building a relationship.
84. Use conversation to build a stronger team.
85. Let people find their own answers.
86. Answer questions only when asked.
87. Treat the other person like a human being.
88. The other person isn’t an enemy.
89. Treat the other person like an ally.
90. This isn’t a competition, it’s a conversation.
91. Encourage different points of view.
92. Praise the other person.
93. Try not to predict what the other person will say.
94. Don’t work out your family stuff at this time.
95. Speak clearly.
96. Speak openly.
97. Speak in a calm tone.
98. Don’t raise your voice.
99. Be positive.
100. Ask for help if you need it.
101. Be courageous.

Effective communication doesn’t just happen, it takes practice over time. Many people get discouraged because it takes time and energy to become an expert communicator. The good news is that anyone can do it if they commit to practicing over time. Effective communication is about techniques but also about your mindset, you can create amazing, dynamic and caring workplaces if you decide to interact positively with others.

What will you do to develop self-awareness and practice effective communication in your workplace?

Cheers,

Guy

Self-Awareness and Personal Development - On Developing Self-Awareness and Being Self-Aware

Self-Awareness and Personal Development

/ / Self-Awareness / , , , , , / 2 Comments

As you develop self-awareness you’ll find that it will help your personal development journey as well. The more you understand yourself and why you think, feel and do certain things, the more power you have to grow and succeed. You’ll also create a greater number of opportunities to shift the direction of your life because you’ll realize which areas you excel in and which might benefit from some attention.

Self-awareness is essential to developing as a person because it allows you to do things mindfully instead of settling for whatever comes your way. You don’t have to stay stuck in one place your entire life, you can deliberately decide to explore a different path. What will you do to keep developing as a person?

Cheers,

Guy

Self-Aware Leaders Care about Diversity - On Developing Self-Awareness and Being Self-Aware

Self-Aware Leaders Care about Diversity

/ / Self-Awareness in Leadership / , ,

Many leaders who lack self-awareness stare blankly at me when I mention diversity, to the point where I wonder whether they even realize that diversity is all around them. Think of your regular workplace. Are there two people who think exactly alike? Do any two people look exactly the same? Does everyone have the same leadership style? Does everyone have exactly the same knowledge? Did everyone grow up exactly the same way?

Every workplace is made up of people from diverse backgrounds and perspectives. This isn’t due to some cosmic plan, it’s just that no two people are alike. So why is it that people get all bent out of shape about diversity?

Perhaps it’s just that we don’t like to think about new and different things. Humans, especially those that lack self-awareness, are generally resistant to change but are amazingly capable of assimilating it over time. Why should you care about diversity? It really comes down to getting stuff done. Imagine if everyone on your team felt included. Think about what would happen if you could get rid of much of the problems related to people not getting along at work. What would your business look like if people trusted each other and worked as a team?

Diversity can be a powerful tool for businesses and individuals to succeed. It allows you to harness and use the wide range of talents and experience of your workforce. Best of all it makes sure that everyone is part of a thriving team rather than the alternative.

What will you do to develop self-awareness and care about diversity?

Cheers,

Guy

Self-Awareness and Where Your Thoughts Lead You - On Developing Self-Awareness and Being Self-Aware

Self-Awareness and Where Your Thoughts Lead You

/ / Self and Self-Awareness, Self-Awareness / , , , ,

It’s amazing what happens when you build self-awareness and think in ways that lead to positive results. If you focus only on negative thoughts and what you can’t do, your life tends to follow a predictable pattern. It moves very differently if you think in brand new ways. Try the following steps to help you achieve what is meaningful to you:

1. Think of a goal you would like to achieve.

2. Think of the reasons why you can’t achieve that goal.

3. Think of dumping those negative reasons in a trash can.

4. Develop new, positive, ways you can achieve the goal.

5. Picture what your life would look like if you pursued these positive paths.

6. Start working on your goal.

You will find that your thoughts are a powerful predictor for how you will do in life. You get results based on your self-awareness and what you think you can achieve. Try this exercise each time you feel like you can’t do something and begin moving in new and exciting directions.

What will you do to develop self-awareness and think in ways that help you live a great life?

Cheers,

Guy

Leaders Who Lack Self-Awareness Lead Unconsciously - On Developing Self-Awareness and Being Self-Aware

Leaders Who Lack Self-Awareness Lead Unconsciously

/ / Self-Awareness in Leadership / , , ,

Many leaders who lack self-awareness have a special talent for creating hostile workplaces teeming with uninspired and miserable employees just waiting for the day to end. Why does this happen in so many workplaces? One major reason is that many people in leadership positions mean well but lead unconsciously. They do what they’ve always done and, for many, that means repeating behaviors they saw in their families when they were growing up or that were spread to them by other unwitting bosses. They make the same mistakes over and over, hoping that someday they’ll get different results. Here are ten leadership mistakes that are being perpetrated in workplaces worldwide as we speak by leaders who lack self-awareness:

  1. Preventing employees from thinking for themselves and making decisions independently.
  2. Not being able to let go of the need to control people.
  3. Working out personal problems on one’s employees.
  4. Functioning in a reactive, disorganized manner instead of planning proactively.
  5. Creating chaos and confusion by always being in crisis mode.
  6. Not setting a positive example of how to behave appropriately and effectively in the workplace.
  7. Constantly assigning duties with no clear expectations or support.
  8. Talking too much instead of listening actively.
  9. Not trusting employees.
  10. Not asking for input, feedback or help.

If you’ve ever worked for someone who does these things you cherish the memories of wanting to find another job or hoping they move on sometime soon. It can be incredibly stifling and demoralizing to work for a leader like this but it’s a common scenario.

The vital question to ask here is whether you do any of these things? If you do, it doesn’t mean you’re evil, just that you have an opportunity to lead more effectively. Any of the examples mentioned in this article can be replaced with a different behavior that leads to more positive results. You get to decide how you behave and what kind of workplace you create.

What will you do to develop self-awareness and lead consciously?

Cheers,

Guy

Self-Awareness Means Looking Inside for the Answers - On Developing Self-Awareness and Being Self-Aware

Self-Awareness Means Looking Inside for the Answers

/ / Self-Awareness / , ,

A lot of people look to external sources for answers when all they have to do is look inside themselves. Although it’s difficult to take an objective look at yourself and begin the process of healing and discovering who you really are, the reward is that you get to live life as the real you.

I’ve found that people are really smart and even if their lives are complete chaos they have this tiny voice inside that reminds them who they really are. The key to living joyfully is to learn how to listen to your inner voice. You need courage to leave behind all the programming people (including you) have have put in your head so you can move in the direction of your dreams. After all, you’re the only one who knows what you really want to do in life.

Looking inside means you’re building up your self-awareness, which allows you to honor who you genuinely are and find the courage to follow your own path in life. All the outside advice in the world, no matter what the source, has anything to do with who you are deep inside. All you have to do to start your journey is to look inward.

Cheers,

Guy

The Self-Awareness Guy