Improving performance in the workplace through greater self-awareness

Self-awareness is far more elusive than it may seem. Organisational psychologist Tasha Eurich discovered that while 95% of people believe that they are self-aware, only 10%-15% of people truly possess this quality. She believes this dissociation is a combined result of our natural blind spots that allow us to function on autopilot without paying attention to our behaviour. She also believes that the popularity of social media has boosted our predisposition to view ourselves in a more positive light and become more accustomed to the feel-good effects this has on us.

The quality of being self-aware comes with a host of advantages. When leveraged in the workplace, self-awareness has a transformative effect on corporate culture, workplace performance, and leadership.

It is also a surefire way of improving performance across the board. Being a part of a workplace that values and actively fosters self-awareness has given me a peek into what it means to be self-aware, and the insight that it requires continuous practice if you want to enjoy its intended effects.

A conversation I had with a colleague of mine during COVID-19, while we were working remotely, drove this point home.

We were catching up after work and he said, “I don’t know about you, mate, but when this WFH stuff started, I couldn’t seem to concentrate. I’ve realised that what works for me is to make sure I’ve handled everything that needs to be done for my kids before settling down to work.”

“I know what you mean,” I said, “I work best earlier in the day, so I try to get as much done in the morning.”

“Honestly, the silver lining during this time has been having the freedom to realise just how unproductive and stress-inducing my working habits used to be.”

He was right. In the end, what made the lockdown bearable for us was our awareness of what works for us as individuals and what doesn’t. Our awareness of our limitations and challenges helped us develop a style of self-management that was useful given our working conditions.

Improving performance and developing self-awareness through mindfulness

When you’re mindful, you pay more attention to your physical surroundings and the way you interact with it, both physically and mentally. By focussing on these factors, you begin to recognise how they affect you and you gain more insight into why you think and react in certain ways. 

Self-awareness also helps companies with improving performance in leadership roles and boosting organisational efficiency. Eurich calls self-awareness this century’s ‘meta-skill...the single most important and yet least-examined determinant of success or failure.’

Practice meditation

Much like mindfulness and self-awareness, meditation has a host of incredible benefits. Accordingly, one of the many things it facilitates is the time for self-reflection.

Self-reflection and the focus you develop through a couple of minutes of meditation will help you enhance your self-awareness, concentration, focus, get better sleep, and unwind from the stress and tension of your day in a meaningful way.

Regular meditation will also improve your mastery over your emotions and ensure that they don’t get the best of you, regardless of what situation you find yourself in. This, ultimately, is one of the more important benefits of self-awareness.

Be more empathetic

Another major benefit of self-awareness is enriched emotional intelligence, greater empathy, and listening skills. 

Empathy in the workplace transforms corporate culture. You will find that your workplace becomes a much happier and healthier place to work when empathy is part of it. This demonstrates your deep respect for your colleagues and that you care more for the human aspect of work, rather than simply following rules and regulations.

This, ultimately, improves teamwork, employee satisfaction, and communication between employees.

How does Awakened Mind drive self-awareness in the workplace?

Awakened Mind is one of the most technologically advanced mindfulness platforms on the market. It’s designed to boost your knowledge of mindfulness in a bid to help you achieve your personal goals. By leveraging our guided meditation tracks, our hope is that we bring you closer to meaningful self-awareness. 

Download Awakened Mind and begin your journey today!