Are you less self-aware than you think?
My client's boss keeps talking to her about her lack of self-awareness. So, we looked at what might help her build self-awareness.
A study by Tasha Eurich shows that most people believe they are self-aware. But: Only 10%–15% of the people studied were self-aware.
For everyone being their best self, this article "What self-awareness really is and how to cultivate it". The 3 key insights:
1. There are two types of self-awareness - internal and external self-awareness.
But having one, does not mean having the other.
To be truly self-aware, one should cultivate both.
Internal self-awareness is about how clearly, we know what's important to us and how it fits our environment and impacts others.
External self-awareness looks at how other people view us.
2. People do not always learn from experience.
It might lead to false confidence and prevents you from questioning your assumptions.
And the more power you hold, the more likely you overestimate your skills and abilities. The study attributed that to the fact that the higher up the ladder you go, the less candid feedback you might receive (or you might ask for).
Coaching tip: One of the easiest ways to get feedback from others is the 3-way method. Watch my video on "How to ask feedback the easy way".
3. Introspection does not improve self-awareness
Most people ask the wrong questions when interrogating their reality. 'What' questions are more likely to read to results than 'Why' questions because they increase productive self-insight and decrease unproductive rumination.
Coaching tip: Here's my list of go-to 'What' questions you can use in your morning or evening reflection routine.
So, bottom line, if you want to be truly self-aware, here are 3 things to focus on:
Focus on building both - internal and external self-awareness.
Seek honest feedback from others.
Ask more "What" questions – and less "Why" questions.
Book a 45 min discovery call to discuss how coaching can support you. We’ll discuss your biggest challenge, what overcoming this might look like and if my coaching is a good fit—no strings attached.
