This week we took a few self assessments designed to gain a better understanding of our self-awareness. I feel like I hold an unfair advantage as I have both an excellent therapist and trusted person (not my therapist) with whom I am open emotionally. Having consistent feedback and experiencing challenging situations as given me a great deal of insight about myself. For consistent readers of this blog, you know I've been homeless, been in the military, and have had some other life experiences that have all contributed to my sense of self-awareness. Below are the five questions asked of us following these tests.
1. What do you notice in your results?
In a way this answer, answers the other questions, and validates my therapist. I expected to have a good sense of self-awareness and it appears that I do. I didn't expect a huge discrepancy between pre-and post chapter. I did learn some new terminology and was able to better classify my emotions.
2. How much of this rang true for you
Long time readers will also know that I value emotional intelligence a great deal. I thought those tests were interesting. The defining issues test lacked a scoring key so while it was interesting it was of very little utility.
3. What did you see that you were expecting in the results?
Basically that I am in a good place, but still have a lifetime of work ahead, regarding self-awareness. To assume that journey ever ends defeats the purpose of being self-aware.
4. What were the surprises?
I was surprised to see that I have a greater tolerance of ambiguity than I would have thought. I tend to be annoyed when I don't have all the information. However, I see that lack of information as a positive challenge to either learn more or attempt to derive positive conclusions. I think this test needed more depth. To say I am annoyed by ambiguity is true only to the extent that I have to make choices in a vacuum. However, I tend to see ambiguity as the natural state of leadership.
5. How will you make use of this information?
I'm not sure, is the honest answer. I would like to say that I will learn from it an add to my repertoire of leadership skills but that isn't entirely accurate. Self-awareness, when done properly, should just tell you that you need to learn more about yourself. Life is ever changing and our reactions to life can be as varied as the circumstances in which we find ourselves. It would be more accurate to say I will use this information as one more stone in the footpath towards figuring out myself.
Leaders need to be self-aware or they will fail. Plain and simple. Tools such as self-assessments are only as good as the integrity of the people taking them and the willingness to seek answers and explore weaknesses when found wanting in categories.
4. What were the surprises?
I was surprised to see that I have a greater tolerance of ambiguity than I would have thought. I tend to be annoyed when I don't have all the information. However, I see that lack of information as a positive challenge to either learn more or attempt to derive positive conclusions. I think this test needed more depth. To say I am annoyed by ambiguity is true only to the extent that I have to make choices in a vacuum. However, I tend to see ambiguity as the natural state of leadership.
5. How will you make use of this information?
I'm not sure, is the honest answer. I would like to say that I will learn from it an add to my repertoire of leadership skills but that isn't entirely accurate. Self-awareness, when done properly, should just tell you that you need to learn more about yourself. Life is ever changing and our reactions to life can be as varied as the circumstances in which we find ourselves. It would be more accurate to say I will use this information as one more stone in the footpath towards figuring out myself.
Leaders need to be self-aware or they will fail. Plain and simple. Tools such as self-assessments are only as good as the integrity of the people taking them and the willingness to seek answers and explore weaknesses when found wanting in categories.
No comments:
Post a Comment