Follow three tips to identify your strengths and cultivate this skill
People who are happiest in their jobs — or become millionaires before they retire — aren’t necessarily confident, organized, or excellent problem solvers. Instead, there’s a different skill that gives successful people a competitive edge in the workplace, according to Juliette Han, a Harvard-trained neuroscientist: self-awareness.
But she, who is also a professor at Columbia University’s School of Business and an academic advisor at Harvard Medical School, says many people mistakenly believe that self-awareness is “just about understanding your own feelings and your own failures.”
What does it mean to be self aware?
Being self-aware means reflecting on your strengths and also relating those to your goals, she adds. Research suggests that developing self-awareness helps us be more creative, make sounder decisions, communicate better, and build stronger relationships. According to Juliette, it’s “the most underrated skill” that successful people use to excel in their careers.
Here are three tips for identifying your strengths and cultivating greater self-awareness:
1. Think about your interests and skills
What are you good at? What do you like to do? Those are two of the most important questions to ask yourself at work, whether you’re starting a new job or exhausted by stress, she says.
“For example: Do you like leading a team or analyzing data? The answers to these questions can help you identify tasks you don’t mind doing repeatedly,” says the researcher.
Once you have a good understanding of your strengths and the job responsibilities you’d like, you can develop a plan to hone your skills and focus on the projects and tasks that excite you.
2. Ask your manager and colleagues for feedback
Next time you’re meeting with your boss or having coffee with a coworker, ask them, “Can you tell me about a time I was helpful at your job and be specific?”
Their response “will help you discover something about yourself, the impact you have on those you work with, and how others view you,” the researcher explains.
These conversations can also help you identify which skills you can improve. For example, if a coworker mentions a time when your ability to multitask was critical to an important project and isn’t a skill you use often, you might consider practicing it more often.
Juliette asked her closest friends how they would describe her in three words, and “funny” came up in nearly every response. She realized that her sense of humor not only made her a good friend, according to people she loved, but it could also help her be a more empathetic and friendly manager.
“Sometimes you don’t realize what your strengths are until you see them through someone else’s eyes,” she adds.
3. Set goals and track your progress
Once you know which skills you want to hone or incorporate more into your work, you should set goals and track your progress, which can help you stay motivated and work more efficiently.
Juliette says it takes a long time to see tangible improvements in self-awareness, but it’s worth it.
“You may have all the technical skills and charisma in the world, but if you are completely oblivious to yourself, how you present yourself, and how you interact with the world, it will be much more difficult to build strong relationships, interact with your boss, and co- workers and deepen the friendships needed to be truly successful,” concludes the researcher.
Source: CNBC Do it
Source: Terra
Ben Stock is a lifestyle journalist and author at Gossipify. He writes about topics such as health, wellness, travel, food and home decor. He provides practical advice and inspiration to improve well-being, keeps readers up to date with latest lifestyle news and trends, known for his engaging writing style, in-depth analysis and unique perspectives.
