Self awareness may have been one of the most important items in my first year college DACUM. It may also have been one of the most difficult items to teach. Personality, experience and environment all contribute towards an individual’s level of self-awareness; and the learning is ongoing.
Benefits stemming from high self-awareness are illustrated by the following articles:
• Chris Musselwhite writes on
Inc.com “On an interpersonal level, self-awareness of your strengths and weaknesses can net you the trust of others and increase your credibility -- both of which will increase your leadership effectiveness."
• Holly Weeks explains in
Harvard Business Review in Brief how self-awareness can help one prepare for “stressful conversations.”
• Bill Wagner
writes “people who choose business ventures that are in sync with their true personalities tend to experience the greatest level of success and fulfillment.”
The reality is, however, that many of us do not evaluate our abilities accurately. According to the SuccessFactors
blog, “People that fall into the lower three quartiles believe they performed better than they actually did. The highest performers underestimate themselves.” This example clearly illustrates the necessity for feedback.
Organizational culture also plays a role in encouraging self-awareness. David Peck writes in
Talent Management Magazine “It's important to recognize the need for self-awareness. That starts with making it an explicit organizational value.” Thus, leaders who model an acceptance that they have weaknesses and make mistakes contribute towards a culture in which individuals value continuous learning.
Some organizations combine the use of self-assessments with performance appraisals, ongoing conversations and 360° surveys. Even amidst concerns about how to deal with differences of opinion, self appraisals are a valuable tool.
According to Donald L. Kirkpatrick in
Improving Employee Performance Through Appraisal and Coaching – employees should be given an adequate amount of time to complete the appraisal and should be clearly advised on the reason for the appraisal and how it should be completed. An employee whose self-assessment differs greatly from the appraisal or other feedback can learn a great deal.
Does your organization use self-assessments as a part of the appraisal process?
References:
Goldsmith, Marshall.
What Got You Here Won't Get You There. New York: Hyperion, 2007.
Kirkpatrick, Donald L.
Improving Employee Performance Through Appraisal and Coaching, Second Edition. U.S.: American Management Association, 2006.
Musselwhite, Chris. “Self Awareness and the Effective Leader.” Inc.com [www.inc.com]. 2008.
Peck, David. “Leadership Development Through Self-Awareness.”
Talent Management Magazine [www.talentmgt.com]. August 2007.
SuccessFactors. “The fatal flaw of self-assessments.” [www.successfactors.com]. March 29, 2006.
Wagner, Bill. “What's Your Entrepreneurial Personality Type?”
Entrepreneur.com [www.entrepreneur.com]. April, 2006.
Weeks, Holly. “Taking the Stress Out of Stressful Conversations.”
HBR (Harvard Business Review) in Brief [http://harvardbusinessonline.hbsp.harvard.edu]. 2008.
