SELF-AWARENESS

What is the core skill?  SELF-AWARENESS

Self-awareness refers to the ability to recognize personal skills, strengths, and areas that need improvement (Caldwell, 2009).

Why is this core skill important?

Self-awareness is important because it enables an individual to assess personal behaviors, qualities, values, and knowledge and to articulate them to others. The objective self-awareness theory suggests that people evaluate their behaviors by applying internal values and standards (Silvia and Duval, 2001). Therefore, self-awareness allows a person to reflect on their experiences and behaviors to guide professional and personal development processes. Caldwell (2009) reveals that self-awareness is the foundation of emotional intelligence. Eriksen (2009) explains that self-awareness enables people to monitor their behaviors, emotions, and thoughts for the development of meaningful professional and social relationships. More importantly, self-awareness enables one to become an effective manager or leader (Hall, 2004).

How competent are you currently?

My took-kit findings indicate that I am emotionally intelligent. I also learned that my capacity for introspection is exceptional. Notably, I engage in regular mindfulness activities and I attribute them to my good self-awareness skills and emotional intelligence. Feedback from my peers indicates that I am usually objective in my thoughts, actions,   and decisions. This means that I am able to manage my emotions and behaviors (Eriksen, 2009). However, I realize that I should continue improving my self-awareness skills. For example, I feel that I need to improve my intuitive decision-making skills. This will allow me to make effective choices in complex situations, such as when faced with ethical dilemmas. I understand that I often face challenges when trying to overcome some undesired habits. Therefore, I need to apply my self-awareness more in adjusting my behavioral patterns.

Can you identify any contradictions or allowable weaknesses from your analysis?

In my analysis, I included the key aspects of self-awareness, such as emotions, needs, habits, and values. However, I did not include the aspect of personality in the analysis. This is allowable because emotions, habits, and values form an individual’s personality. I identified my need to be better at intuitive decision-making even though this skill is exhibited by highly emotionally self-aware leaders and managers. I believe that my aspiration of becoming a successful leader in the future justifies my need to improve my emotional intelligence to become highly self aware. I realize that self-awareness has a significant impact on one’s motivation. However, I did not include the aspect of motivation in my analysis. This contradiction is allowable because it is through self-awareness that I am motivated to cope with undesired results in my education and work (Caldwell, 2009).

How will this skill help me in the future?

Self-awareness will enable me to lead a happy life even when faced with work-related stresses or overwhelming personal obligations, as demonstrated by Silvia and Duval (2001). It will also enable me to develop meaningful relationships at work, which will make me an effective and productive member of work teams (Caldwell, 2009). Additionally, self-awareness will enable me to achieve my professional and personal development objectives. Caldwell (2009) illustrates that it is through self-awareness that individuals are able to identify their skill gaps and effective ways of filling them.