Work Environment and Self-Awareness

Self-Awareness and Hiring Talent - On Developing Self-Awareness and Being Self-Aware

Self-Awareness and Hiring Talent

/ / Self-Awareness in Leadership / , , ,

Self-awareness and hiring talent are linked because, when leaders and HR professionals value self-knowledge in themselves and others, they are able to scrutinize and evaluate candidates more effectively and make better decisions about whom to bring into the company.

When I talk with leaders and HR professionals a question frequently comes up on how to balance the need for filling positions versus hiring someone who is ideally suited to the position. I often hear comments about how there are no qualified candidates out there or that good people are so hard to find.

There are some basic things that leaders and organizations can do to ensure that they are getting the best people possible rather than just filling seats.

What is The Focus of Your Hiring?

Determine what you need in your organization. Do you just want to fill seats or do you want highly motivated and driven people who love doing what you do. Try focusing on hiring people who really like to do the work you are hiring them to do.

Focus the Job Description

Instead of working in generalities get down to the exact qualities you need someone to possess. Get into great detail so that you can weed out those who don’t fit the bill. Make sure your candidate loves doing the things that are in the job description.

Hire Based on People’s Passions

Just because someone can do something doesn’t mean they love what they do.  It’s far more effective to hire someone because they genuinely enjoy the job that you’re hiring them for. Make sure you understand the candidate’s interest and passions before you consider her for a position.

Ask Open-Ended Questions

These are deeper questions that invite sharing and help you understand who people are. Ask questions that inspire critical thinking, encourage the candidate demonstrate her expertise, and don’t lead to a yes or no answer.

Limit Fantasizing

Sure it’s nice to think that this person is the one for this job. We love for people to succeed and for this persistent opening to go away but try not to place people in positions just because you hope it will work out. Make sure the position is one they’ll love doing.

Be Up Front

Tell people what the position is. Don’t embellish; include the things that aren’t so great about the position and ask for the candidate’s impressions based on those elements. This will help you determine whether someone really enjoys the work required in the position you’re trying to fill.

Try these practical ideas to move your organization in a direction where it is hiring people who truly love the position they’ve accepted. When your new hires find themselves in a job that reflects who they are and what they enjoy doing, they will be far more likely to do a great job and stay with the company.

What will you do to develop self-awareness and successfully hire talent?

Cheers,

Guy

Self-Awareness and Communicating without Defensiveness - On Developing Self-Awareness and Being Self-Aware

Self-Awareness and Communicating without Defensiveness

/ / Self-Awareness in Leadership / , , ,

A communication skill that will help you improve almost any workplace interaction is to demonstrate self-awareness by learning how to have a conversation without defensiveness. I often hear from my clients that it is very difficult to not take things personally. It’s natural for us to think that everything another person says is about us but, in reality, what other people tell us is simply their perception.

Communication in many workplaces often transpires like this:

Person A:  I wish you wouldn’t get angry at me so often.

Person B:  I can’t believe you’re saying that to me after all the hard work I do for you and this department.

The standard reaction for the person on the receiving end of exchanges like this is to get upset and feel threatened or hurt by the statement so they get defensive or feel they have to fight back. When they do that the other person gets defensive and chaos ensues. The result is lack of self-awareness, ineffective communication, and constant conflict.

I prefer to look at what people say to me as an opportunity to understand the other person better. The next time someone says something that you normally would fight back against or that makes you feel defensive, try the following strategies:

1.  Think of the statement only as words and information. In this case the person said they would like to see less anger coming from you. Even if their statement has no basis in reality just look at it as their perspective. This allows you to take what the other person has said, learn something about them and think of ways to improve the situation without getting your stuff mixed up in it.

2.  It’s not about right/wrong, win/lose, it’s about effective communication. Think of the statement as window into the other person’s thoughts and take the opportunity to learn about them. After all, they’re only telling you about their perception not about how they want to destroy you.

3.  Ask open-ended questions to gather more information. For example: What are the reasons you think that? Listen actively and gather information only. Don’t judge, get upset or fight. Ask open-ended questions until the tone of the conversation changes from tension to calm.

4.  Listen, listen, listen. Try not to comment, rebut, challenge or change the other person’s point of view no matter how much you disagree. Don’t interrupt and stay with them until the conversation becomes more tranquil.  ou will know when you have listened enough because the other person will be calmer.

5.  When the other person is finished thank them for the information and tell them you will consider it. If they ask you to, paraphrase what they’ve said and tell them their point of view is important to you. Invite them to share their ideas with you again if they think of anything else.

When you practice these behaviors you demonstrate self-awareness and give the other person the opportunity to tell you about themselves. You also show them what it’s like to be listened to in the workplace and have their point of view accepted for what it is: their valuable point of view. This sets up a very important dynamic because it introduces the concept that both people can express themselves without reacting negatively.

Try this approach the next time you find yourself in a situation where someone is telling you something that sets you off. If you practice these skills, the other person will notice that you are giving them the chance to speak and will be more likely to do the same for you.

Even if the other person is trying to upset you you’ll be able to get information directly from them to clarify what’s occurring. People often say things they don’t mean because they don’t feel heard or don’t think it will matter to the other person.

What will you do to develop self-awareness and reduce the defensiveness in your workplace communication?

Cheers,

Guy

Leadership and Self-Awareness - On Developing Self-Awareness and Being Self-Aware

Leadership and Self-Awareness

/ / Self-Awareness in Leadership / , , ,

Leadership and self-awareness go hand in hand to build happy workplaces but many leaders have no clue how their actions affect the people around them and the well-being of their organizations. They stumble through their days working out their personal issues on people without realizing what they’re doing.

Leaders with self-awareness have the ability to manage their emotions, thoughts, and behaviors so that they treat themselves and others positively. Most leaders have little to no understanding of how they affect the people around them so they spend the day bossing everyone around instead of inspiring them. Here are five signs you’re practicing leadership with self-awareness:

  1. You don’t bark orders.
  2. You create a work environment where people motivate themselves from within.
  3. You don’t picture yourself as a fearless leader steering a ship through turbulent waters.
  4. You work collaboratively for the collective good.
  5. Your staff genuinely likes you.
  6. You appreciate feedback and do something positive with it.
  7. You’re constantly growing.
  8. You delegate often and well.
  9. You don’t get into power struggles.
  10. There is low turnover in your department or company.
  11. There is very little conflict in your organization.
  12. You communicate well because you’re an active listener.
  13. You’re a balanced, likable person.
  14. You don’t lead through fear but rather through kindness and compassion.
  15. You have empathy.

Leaders who possess self-awareness get a lot more done with less effort. There’s no mystery to becoming more self-aware, you just have to work at it every day. Try picking one of the items on the list and practicing it until you get good at it, then move on to the next. Before you know it, you’ll be leading with self-awareness. What will you do to get the process going?

Cheers,

Guy

Self-Awareness Consulting Produces Long-Term Results - On Developing Self-Awareness and Being Self-Aware

Self-Awareness Consulting Produces Long-Term Results

/ / Self-Awareness in Leadership / , , , , ,

Many leaders hire a self-awareness consultant for a session or two only to find that they produce little or no long-term results. Most leaders and their employees are highly motivated and conscientious professionals who genuinely want their training programs to succeed but who habitually focus on short-term patches instead of long-term programs that benefit their organizations over time.

Short-term thinking permeates many of our workplaces. I’ve had more than a few leaders who lack self-awareness ask me to transform their workplaces and employees in a single, three-hour session, and they actually believe it can be done. It takes considerably more time and effort for consulting to take hold in any organization. As with any behavior, it takes time to shift our thinking and replace it with new actions. Here are ten ideas that will help you make the most of your work with a self-awareness consultant and create long-term results:

1. Self-awareness consulting works best when it’s ongoing. A one-time session might be mildly effective if you’re teaching people a specific workplace task but it doesn’t create long-term changes in thinking and behavior. Learning any new skill (such as how to communicate well, manage effectively or build teams) takes deliberate practice over time.

2. Help your employees keep practicing the new skills. Your staff members benefit from your support to keep the consulting going. Try to set people up for success by giving them opportunities to practice the material instead of expecting them to be perfect immediately after one or two sessions.

3. Self-awareness consulting starts with leadership. No initiative succeeds in an organization if leaders aren’t fully committed to participating actively in the program. If you’re not involved on an ongoing basis, then your staff members will think the program doesn’t really matter.

4. Don’t hire a self-awareness consultant on the cheap. You don’t have to spend excessive amounts on trendy experts just show your employees that you’re willing to invest in their growth and development. It’s more productive to pay more for an ongoing, quality consulting program than many inexpensive and ineffective ones.

5. Focus on specific workplace behaviors. You either practice positive behaviors in the workplace or go down some other path. Focus on hiring a self-awareness consultant that helps leaders and employees behave in positive ways and build a more productive work environment.

6. Don’t punish employees with a consultant. Your program will lose all credibility if you force employees to attend as a corrective measure or because you think they did something wrong. Self-awareness consulting is about ongoing educational opportunity and growth, not about disciplining employees.

7. Attendance is highly encouraged. No one is allowed to schedule meetings or be called out from sessions, especially leadership. Make time during the workday so that people can see that the consulting program is worth their time. Leadership attends consistently and sets the example for the rest of the staff.

8. Set specific goals and measure results as you go. Identify one or two areas you want your consulting program to affect and measure what’s happening before and after the training as well as at intervals in the future. Keep practicing what works and make modifications to strengthen areas that need extra attention.

9. Have the self-awareness consultant train you and your staff to keep things going. Design your consulting programs so that key employees gain the expertise necessary to train other staff members. When your staff can train itself you can keep the knowledge spreading indefinitely and continue making refinements.

10. Make the consulting program part of your culture. You decide how important the program is in your organization. If everyone from your leadership down is highly invested in and actively involved in the program, then it will become a natural element in your workplace.

Try these ideas and you’ll enjoy the benefits of self-awareness consulting that creates lasting change in your organization. All it takes is your commitment and the energy to keep it going. What will you do to develop self-awareness and promote long-term self-awareness consulting in your workplace?

Cheers,

Guy

Leadership, Self-Awareness, and Getting Rid of Workplace Hierarchy - On Developing Self-Awareness and Being Self-Aware

Leadership, Self-Awareness, and Getting Rid of Workplace Hierarchy

/ / Self-Awareness in Leadership / , ,

Leaders who possess self-awareness don’t support hierarchy because they understand that people function better and feel more valued when they’re not put in constricting boxes or compared to others based on arbitrary designations because of someone’s need for power and control.

Hierarchy is an inescapable reality in our workplaces even though it stifles creativity and independent thinking. It generally comes from what we saw in our families: One or two people who are in charge, write the law and don’t allow for any input or questioning because it’s against the order they’ve imposed. Leaders who lack self-awareness may not realize how the walls they build between people affect the functioning of their organizations. Authoritarian hierarchy creates many undesirable effects:

  • People don’t feel important.
  • People aren’t heard.
  • All rules are issued from above.
  • Creative thinking is discouraged.
  • Questioning is forbidden.
  • People are labelled and put in boxes.
  • Decision-making is based on rank or status.
  • Leadership enjoys additional perks.
  • People are afraid to think autonomously.
  • Everyone’s role is defined from the top.
  • Little tolerance for new ideas or approaches.

A large percentage of our workplaces are designed to manage and control employees rather than let them shine. The key to creating a self-aware, dynamic, fluid workplace is to get rid of the barriers between people and encourage them to interact freely and share ideas. Sure, there will be times when leadership has to make a final decision, but it will be less frequent because people are amazingly adept at thinking on their own when we let them.

What will you do to develop self-awareness and reduce the influence of hierarchy in your workplace?

Cheers,

Guy

Self-Awareness and the Benefits of Deeper Team Building - On Developing Self-Awareness and Being Self-Aware

Self-Awareness and the Benefits of Deeper Team Building

/ / Self-Awareness in Leadership / , ,

Leaders who possess self-awareness understand the benefits of deeper team building, which helps leadership and employees connect with each other meaningfully and work together more effectively.

A lot of team building programs help people bond on a casual, superficial level. That’s great for situations where you want people to have a good time for a few hours but I prefer team building that encourages people to connect on a deeper level by building self-awareness and learning how their emotions, thoughts, and behaviors affect them and those around them. Here are seven benefits of deeper team building:

  • Interacting meaningfully, building stronger interpersonal relationships.
  • Increasing mutual respect and understanding, learning about others.
  • Allowing space and time for everyone to express his or her point of view.
  • Dealing well with emotions, building emotionally intelligent employees and leaders.
  • Developing active listening skills.
  • Behaving with kindness, empathy, and compassion.
  • Being able to achieve more in less time.

Imagine your workplace functioning based on these concepts. It probably seems strange because it’s so different from the toxic environments we’re used to, but it makes for a far more enjoyable work experience. Thankfully, you can design any workplace you want, including one where people have self-awareness and genuinely behave as a team.

The way I reach these goals is to consult with groups of people (especially leaders) how to communicate on a deeper level and build relationships based on kind, attentive listening, and empathy. What will you do to develop self-awareness and promote deeper team building in your workplace?

Cheers,

Guy

Leaders Who Lack Self-Awareness Are Stingy with Praise - On Developing Self-Awareness and Being Self-Aware

Leaders Who Lack Self-Awareness Are Stingy with Praise

/ / Self-Awareness in Leadership / , , ,

Leaders who lack self-awareness are stingy with praise because they don’t realize how important it is to help others feel great about themselves and to build people up instead of always correcting or tearing them down.

I consult with many different leaders and organizations and I get a feel for how their workplaces run by observing how they interact in the training we do together. I regularly notice that when the topic of praise (or praising employees) comes up or when we discuss praising people on the job one or more people will raise an objection. It usually goes something like this:

  • You have to be careful about praising too much.
  • It’s counter-productive to praise all the time.
  • It’s phony to praise people a lot.
  • Praise makes people soft.
  • Praise makes people achieve less.
  • How do you praise everyone when only one person deserves praise?
  • Why would I praise bad behavior?
  • I don’t believe you.
  • That doesn’t work.

The remarkable thing about these types of statement or questions is how much they illustrate our lack of self-awareness and related discomfort about praising employees. Perhaps it comes from our families; where we had to prove our worth or rarely (if ever) heard a supportive word. It could arise from never having worked in an organization where praise was part of the culture or leadership praised often. These thought patterns become entrenched in us to the point where we’ll argue about whether praise is positive and behave accordingly.

What I’ve come to realize is that people who lack self-awareness are suspicious of praise primarily because they have not experienced it in action. Praise builds workplaces where employees feel valued. It is also one of the best tools to increase the likelihood that employees will repeat a desired behavior and find other ways to contribute. People like it when someone appreciates the work they’re doing or the ideas they bring to the table.

Leaders who lack self-awareness don’t praise much, if at all, and tend to create workplaces where people are starving for recognition, feel unappreciated and where productivity, procedures and rules take precedence over people. Praise offers a great opportunity to create a workplace that celebrates instead of castigates. Here are some guidelines for praising people:

  • Praise positive behaviors.
  • Be genuine and generous.
  • Praise specific things that people are doing well.
  • Distribute praise evenly, find something positive each person is doing.
  • Make the praise about the other person, keep it brief and focused on them.
  • Keep praising until it becomes the new culture.

The trap many leaders get caught in is thinking that praise is stroking people for bad work when it’s actually about celebrating good work. We’ve been conditioned into thinking that criticism and directives are the only ways to motivate people when a simple, “I appreciate the great job you did,” does much more for building morale and motivation.

What will you do to develop self-awareness and praise people more in your workplace?

Cheers,

Guy

The Self-Awareness Guy