Promotion Killers: No Self-Awareness

Self-awareness is the foundation of good communication. It’s the first step in building positive relationships and in resolving conflict in a positive manner. Self-aware people understand how they are similar to, and different from other people.

They use this insight to help them do things like initiate relationships with a variety of people; determine how much they should disclose about themselves at various points in a relationship; and determine the appropriate amount of emotional support they should offer others. Self-aware people also use their knowledge of themselves and others to determine when and how to assert their displeasure with another person’s actions, and to manage and resolve interpersonal conflicts.

If you understand yourself, you can better understand others. I’ll use myself as an example. I make intuitive leaps. My mind goes from A to B to F. Most people aren’t like me. They process information sequentially. Their minds go from A to B to C to D to E to F. When I am with these people, I don’t blurt out my intuitive leaps. When I have one, I go back and fill in the B to C to D to E before I come out with F. In this way, I am better able to get my point across to my sequentially thinking colleagues and clients.

Get to know yourself. Use this self-knowledge to better understand and communicate with others. This will help you become a more influential person and get that elusivepromotion.